Aer Lingus hires aircraft and crew to fill gaps caused by pilots' dispute
The company has hired three aircraft, known as wet-leased, to operate on Aer Lingus’s behalf. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin
The Labour Court is to formally intervene in a bitter pay dispute between Aer Lingus and its pilots.
The move came after both sides were involved in more than eight hours of talks at the court that ended late on Monday.
A formal hearing will now take place on Wednesday with the court making a recommendation thereafter.
It comes as Aer Lingus confirmed it has hired aircraft and crew from other operators, to help fill some of its flight slots.
The company has hired three aircraft, known as wet-leased, to operate on Aer Lingus’s behalf.
These include one Boeing 777, which is operating transatlantic services, mainly to Chicago.
The airline has also leased two A320 aircraft, which are operating on Prague, the Greek islands and Malaga.
Both the Boeing 777 and the A320 aircraft are currently contracted until July 14.
The Labour Court has also asked both sides not to engage in any escalation of the dispute.
The development comes amid intensifying efforts to find a resolution to avert further travel disruption during the busy summer period.
Both Aer Lingus and IALPA agreed to attend the talks, after two attempts to make progress at the Labour Court and in face-to-face meetings last week failed to reach a breakthrough.
Both sides have blamed the other for prolonging the stand-off that has led to almost 400 flights being cancelled and disrupted tens of thousands of passengers' travel plans.
Aer Lingus has said pilots' industrial action to date has caused "significant financial and reputational damage".
Due to indefinite work-to-rule action from pilots, the airline has cancelled flights through to next Sunday.
Monday’s mediation was focused on restarting pay talks in the intractable row.
Pilots have been seeking a 24% increase that they say is in line with inflation since their last rise in 2019. Mr Tighe has signalled he would be open to an offer below this number, but it would have to be accepted by union members.
Aer Lingus, meanwhile, has said it will offer pay increases of 12.25% and above if improvements in “productivity and flexibility” are on the table.
This condition has proved one of the key stumbling blocks to talks so far.
The president of Ialpa Captain Mark Tighe said the group moved on its initial pay claim of 24% but claimed the company had not compromised “at all”.
“The company, not only have they indicated that they were not moving off their statements of 12.25%, anything more being financed, they also brought to the Labour Court new demands which the Labour Court have not seen before,” he said at the conclusion of the late talks on Monday.
“Having considered all of this, the Labour Court decided to use its authority under the Industrial Relations Act 1990 to have a formal investigation which will occur on a one day event on Wednesday and it will then issue a recommendation.”
The airline’s chief corporate affairs officer Donal Moriarty insisted the company was trying to find resolution.
“Aer Lingus was open to reaching a solution using all avenues available to it for that solution,” he said after the talks at the court on Monday.
“We outlined those details to the court and the court has determined that a formal hearing is the best next step to take.”
Speaking outside Government Buildings, Taoiseach Simon Harris welcomed the Labour Court’s decision to intervene in the ongoing dispute between Aer Lingus and its pilots.
Mr Harris said that he believed both sides of the pay dispute now needed to “dig deep” to find a solution, saying that compromise and engagement are the “key ingredients” to resolving the matter.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that he is hopeful of a breakthrough in the dispute and that pilots and the company can reach a resolution that is “realistic”.
On Saturday, Aer Lingus pilots held their first eight-hour work stoppage of the industrial action so far, walking at 6am from the head office on the airport side beyond the two terminal buildings bearing banners and placards.
They also set up a picket line at the main roundabout near Dublin Airport.
It was agreed that discussions on escalating the industrial action to potentially include further strike action were suspended pending the Labour Court talks on Monday.
Both sides have come under political pressure to resolve the dispute soon with many families expected to travel abroad as primary schools closed for the summer holidays last week.
