After months of deliberations, Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus has decided to shutter its long-haul base in Manchester, England.
In a message posted on its website, the airline said the base will close permanently on March 31. Nonstop transatlantic service between Manchester and New York-JFK will end earlier, on Feb. 23.
Aer Lingus also serves Orlando, Florida, and Bridgetown, Barbados, from Manchester, and those routes will also end, though it was not immediately clear when.
“We understand that this is disappointing news and apologize for the disruption to our customers,” the carrier’s message read. “All impacted customers are being informed of the cancellation of flights directly and provided with reaccommodation and refund options.”
Aer Lingus said it will operate flights between Dublin and Barbados in April and May to reaccommodate some affected customers. Short-haul service between Manchester and destinations in Ireland will not be impacted by the base closure.
The airline also serves New York-JFK and Orlando from Dublin.
Aer Lingus acknowledged last year that Manchester was underperforming relative to its Ireland-based long-haul operations. Officials said they were considering their options, including shutting down the base.
Earlier this month, the carrier ended transatlantic ticket sales to and from Manchester. The step was taken “to minimize customer disruption in the event of a closure of the Manchester base,” Aer Lingus said at the time.
