Services to the holiday hotspots of Orlando and Barbados will be operated by a larger Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
The new Aer Lingus routes will create 120 jobs in the region with recruitment predominantly for cabin crew roles, together with additional positions within maintenance and engineering, and ground operations.
The New York JFK and Boston services will serve 58 onward destinations, with a schedule designed to maximise onward connectivity to exciting destinations such as Las Vegas, Nashville and Jamaica, and for the first time from Manchester to San Jose, Bermuda and Dallas.
Aer Lingus chief commercial officer David Shepherd said: “Aer Lingus has been flying to North America for more than 60 years and we also have a proud history with Manchester Airport.
“With so many people missing out on travel due to Covid-19 over the past year, Aer Lingus is delighted to be sharing this positive news today, announcing a great choice for customers and creating up to 120 jobs in the North of England.
“Equally our operation of the new and innovative Airbus A321LR aircraft marks a further milestone as Aer Lingus will be one of the first carriers to fly the aircraft between the UK and the US. We look forward to commencing our transatlantic services this summer.”
Manchester Airport managing director Karen Smart added: “These routes will be a great addition to the departure boards here at Manchester as we look forward to restarting international travel.
“Pre-pandemic there were more than 5.5 million passengers who crossed the Atlantic each year via Manchester and so to be able to offer these services with a new carrier is great news.
“In addition, Aer Lingus commitment to the UK’s northern gateway results in the creation of 120 much-needed jobs.
“Aer Lingus’ commitment to these new services will be a real boost for those passengers we know are keen to start travelling as soon as the current restrictions can be lifted.
“This demonstration of pent-up demand is another reason why it is more important than ever that the government develops proposals to restart travel that are clear, uncomplicated and affordable. We eagerly await the findings of the Global Travel Taskforce in April.”
