Aer Lingus cabin crew reps to decide on industrial action

Aer Lingus cabin crew representatives meet on Tuesday to decide on industrial action over the airline’s plans to “outsource” the crewing of transatlantic services — with job loss for potentially dozens of Shannon-based crew.

The airline is significantly to increase the frequency of its services to the US from January but is to use Boeing 757s — smaller than the Airbus 330s and 320s which it uses on the transatlantic routes at present.

Initially it had been planned that the airline would hire aircraft from leasing company ASL Aviation and that, while they would be piloted by ASL employees, Aer Lingus cabin crew based at Shannon Airport would be used.