Aer Lingus stops long-haul flights from major city airport as major update issuedAer Lingus made an announcementView Image Aer Lingus made an announcement (Image: JackF via Getty Images)A major city airport has issued a statement following the confirmation that Aer Lingus plans to fully cease its transatlantic operations by the end of March. ‌Aer Lingus announced that its Manchester to New York route would cease from February 23, while the long-haul routes will cease completely by March 31, MEN reports. Aer Lingus added: “Aer Lingus will continue to engage with staff representative groups to discuss the phased reduction in operations, redeployment opportunities and the terms of a severance package at the Manchester Base. In November the M.E.N reported that the company was moving to close its operating base at Manchester Airport, affecting around 200 jobs. At the time, the firm said that its Manchester long-haul operating margin performance 'continues to significantly lag behind that of Aer Lingus's Irish long-haul operating margin' and that they were assessing the base's 'long-term viability.'