United Airlines has announced that it will be suspending its transatlantic flights services from Shannon this winter. The airline’s decision comes close on the heels after it suspended flights to Glasgow. According to the airline, the flights between New York’s Newark Liberty International Airport and Ireland’s Shannon Airport will not be operated from November 26, 2017 till March 9, 2018.
Media reports said that United Airlines suspended seasonal flights to Glasgow because of the low travel demand. However, Ireland’s flagship carrier Aer Lingus mostly operates Shannon-New York flights round the year, except during the months between January and March.
Norway’s budget carrier Norwegian continues to be the only airline to offer flights services between Shannon and New York during the lean period when Aer Lingus suspends services. Though, Norwegian prefers to keep the operating costs low as it lands at Stewart International Airport in the State of New York, which is nearby Manhattan.
According to the reports, United Airlines has however declined to say whether its decision to suspend seasonal Shannon-Newark Liberty service has been by the arrival of Norwegian. Travel experts have though said that there has been a capacity glut on various transatlantic routes, particularly from both mainland Europe and the UK. The foray of long-haul budget carriers has also played their crucial role in compounding the seat glut. The traditional legacy carriers are being confronted with tough competition as a significant portion of market share is being cornered by the long-haul low-cost carriers.
It may be noted that United Airlines has stopped its flights services between Newark Liberty International Airport and Belfast International Airport earlier this year. Given the present situation, it is hoped that that weaker low-cost carriers would be prompted to make significant changes on weaker routes.
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