US-based carrier, American Airlines, has withdrawn its single service to Manchester Airport, following a sharp drop in transatlantic travel during the coronavirus pandemic.
When coronavirus restrictions on travel are lifted, American Airlines will not resume flying from Manchester Airport to Philadelphia, its only remaining service to the Northern hub after flights to New York ceased some years ago. The change will mean no American carriers will serve Manchester Airport, although Virgin Atlantic and Singapore Airlines will continue flights, currently paused due to Covid-19.
The move to drop the route comes as American Airlines withdraws from a number of European destinations, due to the decreased demand for transatlantic travel, with aircraft being redeployed on routes to the Americas. Flights to Philadelphia will continue from Heathrow, and from Edinburgh during the summer.
A spokesperson for the US carrier commented to travel industry publisher, TTG, which broke the story:
We have been adjusting our international schedule since March to match severely decreased customer demand as a result of the pandemic.
“Unfortunately, our year-round service to Manchester from Philadelphia is no longer sustainable in this current demand environment. We thank our team members for their service; we will work closely with them during this time.”
While Covid-19 travel restrictions mean now services to the USA are currently operating from Manchester Airport, Virgin Atlantic is expected to resume flights to Atlanta, New York, Orlando, Las Vegas and Los Angeles, with Singapore Airlines also flying to the Texan city of Houston.
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