US carrier Delta has confirmed it is to cut its service between Manchester and New York from January 8, 2010.
Delta has been operating the daily service between Manchester International and JFK for three years, but a spokesperson for the airline said it has taken the decision to cease the route “to safeguard our profitability in the long run”.
“We are looking at our network like a lot of airlines, and matching capacity to meet demand. We will be suspending the Manchester-New York service from January 8, because looking at passenger numbers the demand just isn’t there during the winter.
“We will be maintaining the year round Manchester-Atlanta service which will still enable passengers to fly via Atlanta to New York JFK.”
Regarding the possibility of reinstating the service next summer, the spokesperson said that Delta would be “monitoring demand for the route”.
The move follows Delta’s decision earlier this year to drop its Edinburgh-New York route from September 19 (see online news June 15), with its service between Gatwick and Cincinnati also ceasing at the end of August.
It’s a blow for US-bound passengers located within the Manchester catchment area, as it leaves Continental as the only major carrier flying direct from Manchester to New York, with a twice daily service (Pakistan International Airlines also offers a twice-weekly service between the two cities).
BA suspended its flights from Manchester to JFK in October 2008, while Bmi also cut its transatlantic services from the airport last year (see online news November 5, 2008).
For more information visit delta.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
