Virgin Atlantic is increasing its flights from Manchester to Orlando following Aer Lingus’ decision to cancel its long-haul routes from the airport.
Virgin will offer 12% more summer capacity on the Orlando route, with extra capacity on sale from 3 February. It is adding a total of 43 additional return flights between 18 July and 29 August inclusive.
In addition, it will increase its winter capacity by 17% this winter by upgrading from an A330-300 to an A350-1000 aircraft on the route.
It is expecting to make further capacity increases for summer 2027, it said.
Aer Lingus will cancel its direct flights between Manchester and Orlando, and also between Manchester and Barbados, on 31 March. Its Manchester-New York service will cease on 23 February.
Virgin is taking on ‘a number’ of Aer Lingus pilots and it said it is ‘working closely’ with the Irish airline to support customers affected by its cancelled flights, including ‘reprotecting passengers onto Virgin flights where possible’.
Chief Commercial Officer Dave Geer said: “Manchester has been our home in the North for 30 years and we’re in it for the long haul. Increasing capacity on our Orlando services is a clear signal of that commitment, ensuring customers can continue to travel across the Atlantic from their local airport.
“We’re also proud to be welcoming experienced Aer Lingus pilots into Virgin Atlantic and to be supporting customers impacted by their changes. Manchester matters to us, and we’ll continue to invest in the region as demand grows.”
