Aer Lingus prepares to close Manchester base - 200 jobs set to be affected as airline stops selling tickets for transatlantic flights
An airline is planning on pulling out of its Manchester base after disappointing profits.
Around 200 jobs are set to be affected as Aer Lingus prepares to close its base in Manchester. The Irish airline has stopped selling tickets for transatlantic flights from the city beyond the end of March.
Staff have been told their jobs are at risk, with consultations underway over their roles, though the firm said it hopes to mitigate job losses should the facility, which opened in 2021, close.
A spokesperson for the airline said: "While consideration of proposals for avoiding and/or reducing redundancies will continue, it is important to also address contingencies in the event that the base closes."
Aer Lingus flights from Manchester include to Orlando and New York, as well as the Bahamas, but the firm has consistently said the operation lags behind those running from Ireland.
A staff memo, reported by the Irish Independent, said: "The airline has emphasised throughout the consultation process that while the Manchester base is profitable, the margins at the base are significantly below that in other comparable parts of Aer Lingus’ business."
"During the consultation processes, the airline has explored various options for increasing the margin at the Manchester Base, but unfortunately to date these options do not appear to be viable," it went on.
"This is despite all of the committed work and best efforts of the Manchester team – a commitment that continues to be seen and is much appreciated, including throughout a Christmas period which has been very challenging from an operational perspective.
"It is our intention to consult over issues, such as what a phased reduction in the operation would look like, both in terms of dates and resourcing, what opportunities exist within Aer Lingus, or indeed within or outside of the IAG group for alternative employment and the possible terms of a severance package at the Manchester base including any arrangements in relation to notice."
Around 40 Aer Lingus pilots operate out of Manchester, with around 30 set to be offered the chance to work on routes out of Ireland, with the remainder believed to have been hired out of the UK.