Lack of demand is forcing Delta Airlines to cancel its direct flights from Manchester to New York's JKF airport, with effect from January 8. With British Airways and BMI already having taken the route off, the recent Delta decision will leave only two carriers operating direct - Continental Airlines and Pakistan International Airlines!

Delta, which presently has three flights per week to New York from the North-West, announced that its new routes will pass through either Schipol in Amsterdam or Charles De Gaulle in Paris, with the passengers being re-routed through the Delta partners, Air France and KLM.

According to Delta managers, the carrier has gone in for a cut in capacity after a seasonal appraisal of operations revealed the routes where demand is not strong enough to persist.

Though Delta's cancellation of the direct flights might just only be a temporary move, largely because of low winter traffic last year, it will be quite a while before the fights are restarted. Nonetheless, the Manchester Airport authorities, who perceive the Delta move as a notable setback, expect the carrier to reinstate the flights in summer next year.

However, about the likely resumption of the direct flights between Manchester and New York, a Delta spokesman said: "We will be monitoring passenger demand and we will react if there is a strong demand for the service."