New year transatlantic surge

Travel between the UK, Europe and the US is set to grow significantly this year, as a number of international airlines add new routes over the North Atlantic for spring and summer.

A notable trend is the addition of nonstop flights to and from secondary cities, giving consumers in those cities an alternative to connecting through a crowded hub like New York’s JFK.

There will also be more direct service to the West Coast with the advent of more efficient aircraft making longer flights more economical, for example Virgin Atlantic starting Manchester – Los Angeles operations.

Among other developments, American Airlines is launching new seasonal flights between Heathrow and Phoenix while British Airways in April starts operating London – Pittsburgh and London – Charleston, the first nonstop on the South Carolina route.

Virgin Atlantic is also returning to the Manchester – Boston market, while in the summer Delta is launching flights between Edinburgh and Boston. In Ireland, Aer Lingus begins Dublin – Minneapolis St. Paul on 8 July, with daily flights in the summer, decreasing to four a week in the winter.

Similar increases are planned from Italy, France and Portugal later this year with Air Italy, Alitalia, United Airlines, the all-Business Class carrier La Compagnie and TAP Air Portugal among the carriers involved.

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