Refunds offer as pilots’ talks continue

AER LINGUS has taken the precaution of offering passengers free refunds on flights if last ditch talks fail to prevent pilots taking industrial action next Tuesday.

Talks aimed at averting the dispute — which could affect up to 30,000 passengers a day — were continuing at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) last night.

A second day of talks to resolve the situation commenced after pilots threatened industrial action, claiming they were being asked to operate onerous rosters because of staff shortages. Their case is being represented by IMPACT, of which the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) is a branch.

Pilots are refusing to work from next Tuesday on roster-free days or on their annual leave and claim staff shortages are the fault of airline management. But Michael Grealy, Aer Lingus head of human resources, argued that it wasn’t a case of pilot shortages but rather of pilot productivity.

Yesterday afternoon the airline notified customers that they can cancel their bookings for next Tuesday and Wednesday and get a full refund. It said intending passengers could also change their bookings to earlier or later dates free of charge by logging onto their website.

Passengers who wish to cancel their bookings can do so by filling out the Flight Disruption Refund Form on the company’s website www.aerlingus.com.

However, a number of services will not be affected if the industrial action goes ahead. These include all flights to and from London Gatwick Airport, all the airline’s regional services, the Washington-Madrid service and all flights in and out of Belfast International Airport.

Aer Lingus said it would notify customers of any further changes in the situation through its website, SMS, email and broadcast media.

In a statement Aer Lingus said the company couldn’t be certain if it will be able to operate its normal schedule from next Tuesday.

“We realise that this is extremely disruptive for our customers and we apologise most sincerely for the major inconvenience this may cause,” the statement said.

IBEC, the employers’ group, has described the pilots threatened action as “inexcusable” and claimed they were trying to cause maximum disruption to the public.