Aer Lingus is moving closer to closing its Manchester Airport base, putting around 200 jobs at risk, after concluding that efforts to improve margins at the operation are no longer viable.
The Irish flag carrier has told staff it will begin formal consultations in the coming days on “mitigating job losses which would occur in the event of a base closure”, while simultaneously confirming it will stop selling tickets for its long-haul routes from Manchester after 31 March.
Flights from Manchester Airport to New York JFK, Orlando and Barbados will no longer be available to book beyond that date, a move that industry sources say strongly points towards the base being wound down.
Although Aer Lingus has stopped short of formally confirming closure, internal communications seen by staff underline the airline’s position. While the Manchester operation is profitable, Aer Lingus said its margins are “far below” those achieved elsewhere in the business.
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