Aer Lingus accepts Labour Court recommendation for pilots to get 17.75% pay rise 

File picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

The Labour Court has recommended that Aer Lingus pilots receive a pay rise of 17.75% in a bid to break the long-running industrial dispute.

The recommendation is not binding and must be accepted by both parties.

Aer Lingus has accepted the recommendation and urged pilots to follow suit and end their industrial action.  The Irish Air Line Pilots' Association (IALPA), meanwhile, has said it will convene a meeting of its executive within the next 24 hours to consider the recommendation before balloting members. The work-to-rule action remains in operation indefinitely.

The work-to-rule action by pilots in a dispute over pay has already seen hundreds of flights cancelled and thousands of passengers facing disruption.

Pilots had been seeking a 24% rise they say is in line with inflation since their last pay increase while Aer Lingus had offered 12.25% along with requests for more productivity from workers.

Previous attempts to resolve the issue at both the Labour Court and in face-to-face talks have failed, with both parties attending the court again last Wednesday with the independent industrial relations court issuing its recommendation this afternoon.

The pay increase suggested is just under 18% over a number of years, with incremental rises starting from 1 January 2023 and concluding in July 2026. It also recommended an increase of pilots’ overnight allowance by 10% now, and a further 5% in October 2025.

In its recommendation, the Labour Court said: “The Court understood from its engagements with the parties on both of these occasions that the potential exists for a very grave and unfavourable outcome to this trade dispute should resolution not be found in the short term.

“Similarly, the Court came to understand that, notwithstanding their extensive engagements directly and with the assistance of a series of expert bodies, no discernible narrowing of the gap between the parties’ respective positions on key matters, or indeed their disputation on matters of fact, had emerged.” 

The Labour Court was critical of both sides for laying “significant emphasis on the differences between the parties” rather than focusing on positions they did agree with. It added that both sides would’ve known that their own submission to the court would not be acceptable from the other side.

“The Court therefore believes that both parties must have concluded that any recommendation put forward by the Court would require compromise on the part of both sides in order to be acceptable to both as a basis to resolve this trade dispute,” it said.

“This recommendation represents the opinion of the Court, based on the merits of the trade dispute, as to how it should be resolved.”

On Monday evening, Aer Lingus said it was accepting the Labour Court's proposal after reviewing the final recommendation.

“The airline will have to consider the longer-term implications of implementing the recommendation and of this dispute which has been enormously damaging both financially and reputationally,” it said.

“Aer Lingus encourages Fórsa/IALPA and pilots to accept the recommendation of the Labour Court and end their industrial action.

“We would like to thank the Labour Court for its work in issuing both its interim and final recommendations.” 

IALPA, meanwhile, has said its executive will consider the recommendation and the union will commence preparation for a ballot of its members.

IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe said a ballot would allow pilots to carefully consider the terms of the recommendation.

“In advance of preparations for a ballot - and during which the current work-to-rule is set to continue – the union will ensure pilots are fully apprised of the details of the Labour Court’s recommendation,” he said.

“Pilots will have the opportunity to consider its terms and to carefully consider our next steps.

“This has been an exceptionally complex dispute, reflected in the Court’s decision last week to utilise its legislative powers to investigate the matters in dispute.

“Several of our executive officers are on flight duty today, so we’re currently preparing for the full executive to meet within the next 24 hours.”