First increase in capacity on Manchester route by US carrier in a decade
United Airlines is increasing its capacity at Manchester Airport by up to 40% from this Summer.
It is part of its plans to replace its Boeing 757-200 aircraft with newer 767-300 and 767-400 planes.
The 400 version will fly the daily route from Manchester to New York/Newark in the Summer, giving a 40% increase in seats, while the 300 version of the 767 will operate in the Winter, providing a 30% increase on present levels.
The 757 offers 169 seats, while the 767-400 is configured to offer 240 seats, including 39 flat-bed seats in business class.
“The introduction of the Boeing 767-400 aircraft is the most significant increase in capacity on our non-stop Manchester-New York/Newark service in over a decade and underscores our commitment to Manchester and the North-West of England,” said Bob Schumacher, managing director sales UK and Ireland.
He said the wide-body, twin-aisle fleet will improve the customer experience.
Talking to TheBusinessDesk.com, he said the new fleet will include a premium economy section, Premium Plus.
He said 60% of the new 767 fleet will have been retro-fitted with Premium Plus by the end of this year, and the entire fleet will be completed by the end of 2020.
Mr Schumacher said Premium Plus could be ideal for SME business customers flying with the airline: “Not everyone wants a business class offer.”
And he said the upgrade in capacity is “confirmation that things are good at United as a company, and this region.
“In the UK and North West we are in a position to take the business to the next level, which is testament to the vibrancy of what is happening in the North West and what is happening here in Manchester and in Liverpool.
“There are very exciting plans for Manchester, with the £1bn transformation of the airport, and we are happy to be part of that,” he said.
Bob Schumacher
More capacity on United’s daily flights also means more opportunity for inbound business passengers, with corporate America visiting the North West to do business, said Mr Schumacher.
The extra capacity will also help grow leisure travel from the North West to the US.
United, which has flown from Manchester for 22 years, operates 230 internal flights across America, with a host of connections available from New York.
Mr Schumacher said the most popular leisure and holiday links for the Manchester service are Orlando, Los Angeles, Tampa, and San Francisco.
And he believes the appetite for more leisure destinations will increase among UK passengers: “Half our planes are filled by Brits, which is one of the highest levels in the market,” he said.
The route will also avoid the uncertainty that Brexit has brought to the travel industry, he said.
“The US and UK have signed an open skies deal, so flying continues, whatever happens on March 29. There are open skies between the UK and US.”
