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Aer Lingus confirm that they are ceasing transatlantic flights from Manchester Airport from 31st March 2026. Its not good news for people planning their Florida and Disney World trips or for people with flights already booked. The airline does not expect Orlando and Barbados flights booked to depart before 31st March 2026 to be affected.
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Key Closure Dates
Aer Lingus operates three transatlantic routes out of the Manchester Airport base. All are ceasing operations from the following dates:
Manchester to New York (JFK) stops from 23rd February 2026.
Manchester to Orlando (MCO) ends from 31st March 2026.
Manchester to Barbados (BGI) ends from 31st March 2026.
What's Changing
According to Aer Lingus’s latest update they crucially do not expect any impact to flights before the route closure dates, so people with flights booked during this short window should not feel the impact of the closure.
Commenting further on the overall impact of the closure, Aer Lingus said:
"We understand that this is disappointing news and apologise for the disruption to our customers. All impacted customers are being informed of the cancellation of flights directly and provided with reaccommodation and refund options."
They further said:
"Aer Lingus plans to operate a service from Dublin to Barbados (subject to receipt of necessary approvals) during the months of April and May to reaccommodate affected customers."
When transatlantic flight sales were paused on 8th January 2026, Aer Lingus sign posted passengers towards their rights under EU Regulation 261/2004 (EU261). This is something that they are reiterating today.
For anyone with other Aer Lingus flights from Manchester, these will be unaffected. Aer Lingus say:
"There is no impact to Aer Lingus or Aer Lingus Regional (Emerald Airlines) flights between Manchester and Ireland."
Which Bookings Will Be Affected?
If you have a transatlantic flight booked with Aer Lingus flying from Manchester after the key dates of 23rd February to New York, or to Orlando and Barbados after 31st March 2026, assume your flight is impacted.
Even if your travel date is months away, the key thing is when your route stops operating; not when you booked.
What Aer Lingus Says It Will Do For Customers
Aer Lingus says:
It is notifying all impacted customers directly about cancellations.
Customers will be offered reaccommodation and refund options.
If you've already contacted Aer Lingus, the airline says it is processing requests and will follow up.
This means if your flight is cancelled, you should expect either a rebooking option (which might involve travelling via Dublin instead of Manchester), or a refund, depending on what works best for your trip.
What UK Travellers Should Do Now
People who have booked flights only as part of a DIY holiday package will most likely be contacted directly. Keep an eye for an email from Aer Lingus and check your spam folders to see if you have already been contacted. Phone lines will be busy if you decide to contact them because you have no notification yet, so expect a long wait.
If you booked through a travel agent or as part of a package, you’ll need to go through the agent / operator because they often need to action the change on your behalf. In this instance be ready for changes.
Avoid cancelling other parts of your trip until you know the impact of the flight change.
Why This Matters for Disney and Florida-bound UK travellers
For UK families and couples planning big once-in-a-lifetime trips to Orlando this news has an impact on holidays. Regional long-haul availability is a genuine planning factor, affecting total travel time, baggage rules, connection stress, and overall cost. Losing a Manchester long-haul option can mean more competition for seats on Virgin Atlantic’s Manchester route and London routes, especially around school holidays.
For now, if you have a flight booked with Aer Lingus as part of your trip, you need to take action and expect to hear from the airline.
We’ll be closely monitoring how this will affect UK passengers as more information becomes available.
Magic in a Minute
If you're booked on Aer Lingus long-haul from Manchester for late Feb 2026 onwards (New York) or from 31 March 2026 onwards (Orlando and Barbados), check your booking now, watch for Aer Lingus contact, and be prepared for a Dublin re-route or refund.