Aer Lingus 'planning UK transatlantic flights'

The Irish Times reports six UK airports have responded to a request from the carrier to offer flights to the US or Canada from next year until at least 2024.

The airline reportedly wants to swap capacity from Shannon to the UK, believing the west of Ireland airport will not be able to fill existing services to Boston and New York if they resume.

Aer Lingus is said to be seeking routes for two Shannon-based narrow body Airbus A321s, which are suited to less busy regional services.

The Irish carrier’s parent company IAG has positioned the Aer Lingus brand as a budget option to the US, using regional flights from the UK to link with transatlantic services from Dublin and Shannon.

Any decision to switch to flying direct from the UK may also be driven by IAG’s desire to take advantage of

Norwegian’s difficulties, which said last week it needed more cash to survive the winter.

Aer Lingus has been approached for a comment.