Aer Lingus passengers booked on transatlantic flights from Manchester fear travel disruption as the airline is offering refunds after signalling it could shut its base at the airport.
The Irish carrier is in talks with about 200 staff at Manchester, from where it flies to the US and Barbados. It says the talks could lead to it ending operations there.
Aer Lingus has also said it will stop selling transatlantic flights from the British airport after March 31st, a move that passengers complain has plunged their plans into uncertainty.
The company recently emailed passengers who have booked flights from there after the end of March offering them refunds or possible alternative services.
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The mail says the carrier recognises “there is ongoing uncertainty about transatlantic flights from our Manchester base” and adds that it is doing all it can to aid passengers.
The airline has not cancelled any flights scheduled after this date, nor has it confirmed it will definitely close the Manchester base.
However, industry sources say the decision to stop selling flights and the talks with workers mean closure is likely.
A customer who booked return flights for him and his family to Orlando, Florida, in April, said he sought clarification from Aer Lingus immediately on receiving its email earlier this month.
The passenger said he realised the situation was “hopeless” so he sought a refund the following day and booked alternative flights.
“I am over £500 [€577] out of pocket,” he said, adding that he must wait for his refund, while Aer Lingus has had his payment for the flights since last July.
While he acknowledged that staff to whom he spoke were very helpful, the passenger said he still faced a wait for his refund.
The customer added he was “one of thousands” affected.
Aer Lingus confirmed that on January 8th it “wrote to all customers flying to/from Manchester on transatlantic routes after March 31st, 2026″ to offer them a refund or alternative flights.
The company is responding to customers and refunding or rerouting passengers.
Meanwhile, an airline statement confirmed that consultation on the future of the Manchester operation was continuing.
The talks only relate to its transatlantic routes from there to New York, Orlando and Barbados. There is no threat to its flights between the airport and Ireland or to Aer Lingus regional operations.
The Irish company maintains that the negotiations are aimed at “mitigating job losses which would occur in the event of a base closure”.
Trade union Unite, which represents 130 cabin crew based at Manchester, is threatening industrial action over the move.
Unite argues that the Manchester business is profitable and says the airline is showing complete disregard for loyal workers based there.
The company told staff this month that the base is profitable, but noted margins were far below those of the rest of its business.
According to a memo, workers can opt to work elsewhere within Aer Lingus, or its parent company, IAG, which also owns British Airways and Spanish airline Iberia, or they can take redundancy.
Aer Lingus opened the Manchester base in 2021 to deploy aircraft left idle while the Irish Government continued with Covid restrictions as the rest of Europe reopened air travel.
In November, the airline’s chief executive, Lynne Embleton, said the base was “performing lower than elsewhere in Aer Lingus and Aer Lingus is performing lower than elsewhere in IAG”.
