It has now been a year since Aer Lingus launched transatlantic service from Manchester, United Kingdom. The initial flight took off for Bridgetown, Barbados, on October 20th, 2021, with trips to New York JFK & Orlando International following that December. To mark the anniversary, Simple Flying caught up with Aer Lingus Chief Customer Officer Susanne Carberry to find out how these operations are performing.

Direct links

Carberry explains that her airline is grateful for the progress that the Manchester transatlantic service has made in just a single year. All in all, the carrier understood that there was plenty of demand for direct flights across the Atlantic from North West England to North America and the Caribbean, but entering the market was a new concept for the region.

With Manchester seeing a considerable drop in direct connections following the reduction of capacity from other airlines, Aer Lingus saw new opportunities. Looking back, it was the right move for the carrier, with plenty of passengers filling in the Airbus A321LRs.

The numbers speak for themselves. As Carberry puts it:

“As our direct transatlantic services from Manchester enter their second year, we are really pleased with their performance. To date we have operated 670 roundtrips across the Atlantic, our cabin crew members have served up more than 350,000 meals; and passengers have tuned into over 750,000 hours of movies, TV programmes, music and entertainment on Aer Lingus’ inflight entertainment systems while flying across the Atlantic.”“Our confidence in the future and understanding the needs of our customers will enable us to consolidate our position offering high-quality service, direct, nonstop business and leisure travel options at competitive prices for travellers and holidaymakers to North America and the Caribbean from the North of England. We have received really positive feedback from our North of England customers who have flown with us, and we are focused now on building that customer base.”

Looking ahead

Aer Lingus is determined to keep the momentum going. The thrice-weekly Barbados flights will resume on November 2nd for their seasonal run until March. Moreover, the New York and Orlando services will continue to run daily and 5x-weekly, respectively.

Nonetheless, it’s not only Manchester that Aer Lingus is concentrating on when it comes to trips over the Atlantic. The airline is intent on consolidating its positioning and providing “the best options for flights to North America and the Caribbean from the North of England while building the UK customer base.”

The company has been working hard across the board to restart routes that were dropped during the pandemic. Notably, Aer Lingus' Airbus A330 aircraft have returned to Miami, operating three times a week to the popular Florida destination. With this comeback, IAG Cargo's capacity will be boosted, as the widebody will be offering plenty of space in its belly.

Broader impact

Aer Lingus also recently announced that it will once again be flying nonstop from Dublin to Hartford, Connecticut, next March. The airline also added a new route to Cleveland, Ohio, from the capital of Ireland.

This progress is having a domino effect on the aviation industry. From passengers to airports, greater connectivity is boosting prospects for the overall market.

Dublin Airport’s management highlighted that the Cleveland service alone allows travelers to benefit from direct connections not only to Ireland but to more than 20 key European cities. Manchester Airport shares a similar sentiment, noting the distinctive nonstop opportunities to be had with the three routes to New York, Barbados, and Orlando. With a strong start, we can expect further developments in 2023.

What are your thoughts about Aer Lingus’ transatlantic service? What do you make of the overall operations? Let us know what you think in the comment section.