Airline deal: Backing likely

FOR now Aer Lingus flights will continue to take off after the company’s hard-fought deal with IMPACT looked likely to be given the green light by union members last night.

After 20 hours of talks and just hours before all 480 pilots were to be suspended for refusing to train new pilots for the Belfast base, the company and the union came up with a package.

Under the deal, the pilots who secure a transfer from Dublin to Belfast will keep their defined benefit pension scheme. However, new recruits will have to settle for the lesser defined contribution pension.