Passengers lucky enough to travel on the first flight to the Big Apple from the north-west airport were treated to a glass of champagne, while the inaugural service was led on to the runway by a traditional New York taxi.Graham Bell, American Airlines’ director of sales in the UK and Ireland, said the carrier is delighted to increase its services between the two cities.

American has been flying between Manchester and the US for nearly 25 years, which serves to demonstrate how committed we are to our Manchester operations and also gives us the distinction of being the airport’s longest continuously serving carrier to the US, he commented.The new daily flights are being operated using a 182-seat Boeing 757 aircraft, which includes 166 seats in economy class and 16 lie-flat seats in business.In April, Manchester Airport celebrated the 100th anniversary of flights to London by renaming a nearby road Louis Paulhan Way, after the first man who made the journey using a biplane.