Aer Lingus to launch transatlantic flights from Manchester in July

Aer Lingus has confirmed moves to launch its first transatlantic flights from the UK after disclosing plans to begin services from Manchester to New York JFK and Orlando this summer. Aer Lingus plans to launch the New York and Orlando routes from 29 July as part of wider expansion which will see the IAG carrier add flights from the UK airport to Barbados in October and to Boston the following summer. The carrier will deploy single-aisle Airbus A321LRs on the New York and Boston flights, while using Airbus A330-300s for the leisure routes to Orlando and Barbados. Measures restricting international travel from England remain in place, though the UK government will next month update timelines on the potential lifting of these restrictions. Aer Lingus has extended until the end of the year the waiving of fees to change bookings. Manchester Airport managing director Karen Smart says: “Pre-pandemic there were more than 5.5m passengers who crossed the Atlantic each year via Manchester and so to be able to offer these services with a new carrier is great news.”<br/>