Air chaos imminent as pilot industrial action under way at Aer Lingus

An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 (St Ultan) about to depart from Cork Airport on Tuesday. Picture: Larry Cummins

Industrial action will ground thousands of holidaymakers each day for at least the next seven days after the Labour Court admitted defeat in finding a resolution between Aer Lingus and its pilots.

Both sides attended the court separately on Tuesday and outlined their positions on the pilots' 24% pay increase demand. Within hours of those meetings, pilots and management confirmed the court had told them it would not be intervening at least until July. 

That meant that industrial action began at midnight with an indefinite work to rule. There will also be a full eight-hour strike on Saturday.

With more than 220 flights already cancelled between today and Sunday, the airline on Tuesday confirmed it was cancelling a further 50 that were due to fly on Monday and Tuesday of next week "in order to protect as many of our services from being impacted by the ongoing industrial action".

"These cancellations will be implemented [Tuesday] and details will be communicated to impacted customers. Details of the services impacted are set out on ‘Travel Advisory’ page of aerlingus.com.”

Cork Airport terminal on Tuesday. Picture: Larry Cummins

The cancelled flights are mainly to cities such as London, New York, Paris, Rome and a number of cities in Germany but many of these are stop off locations for people travelling further afield to holiday destinations. 

Speaking ahead of the company’s Labour Court meeting, Aer Lingus CEO Lynne Embleton said the dispute is “hurting everybody”, including holidaymakers, people travelling for family events and Taylor Swift fans.

The industrial action began to impact travellers even before it officially began today.

In both Dublin and Cork airports passengers told yesterday how they were fearful that their return flights to and from Ireland are in jeopardy.

Parents Clare and James Fogarty with children Fiadh and Oscar at Cork airport today prior to departure on holidays. Picture: Larry Cummins

Siobhan O'Leary from Carrigaline vented her frustration as she prepared to board a flight to Malaga at Cork Airport: "I am a little bit worried because I look after my mum. She is 90 and living alone. If I don't get back when I am supposed to, there is going to be huge panic because I care for her full-time.

"We will have to wait and see but surely things will have to be solved. My mum was crying yesterday at the thought of me going away. That's why I really need to get back when I'm supposed to get back.

"They (Aer Lingus) have to fix it but it is ridiculous to think that they (the pilots) are looking for this level of an increase. They are holding the whole country to ransom and shouldn't be allowed to do it. It's disgraceful that every flight today is full because people are so desperate to get out."

Éala, Ciara, Grace and Eoin Walsh, Waterford at Cork airport today prior to departure on holidays. Picture: Larry Cummins

Pilots are seeking a pay increase of 24%, which they say equates to inflation since the last pay rise in 2019.

Aer Lingus has said it is willing to offer pay increases of 12.5% or above if "improvements in productivity and flexibility" are discussed.

Earlier, Taoiseach Simon Harris asked both sides to “dig deep” to come to a resolution in the ongoing saga.

The Taoiseach said it was "absolutely vital" that both sides engage in talks to find a resolution.

"My challenge to the parties now is to bring that engagement forward, rather than putting people through a prolonged period of agony and chaos, and then engaging in the end anyway," Mr Harris said.

"This dispute will be settled the same way every dispute is settled: compromise, engagement, sitting around a table. That's what needs to happen."