Flight cancellations reach 244 after conflict escalates

This is in addition to the 124 flights that have already been canceled due to unlimited protest by pilots, members of the IALPA union.

In a statement, Aer Lingus said: “Following IALPA’s escalation of industrial action by announcing an 8-hour pilot strike on Saturday June 29, Aer Lingus had to cancel 120 flights that day. This will affect 15,000 customers on Aer Lingus short-haul services.

“Aer Lingus has rescheduled long-haul flights for June 28 and 29 to avoid the cancellation of these services.

“Aer Lingus is automatically rebooking some customers onto alternative flights and has started sending emails to all other customers notifying them of cancellations and informing them of their options: change their flight for free, request a refund, or request A voucher.

“Details of flights canceled on June 29 are available in the ‘Travel Advisory’ section of the Aer Lingus website at aerlingus.com.

“Aer Lingus regional flights, operated by Emerald Airlines, are unaffected by the IALPA industrial action and will operate as planned. Aer Lingus regional flight numbers are between EI3000 and EI3999.”

Earlier

Summer holiday plans have been upended for thousands of families due to the escalating industrial dispute at Aer Lingus, with pilots announcing a full eight-hour strike for next Saturday.

The complete work stoppage was announced shortly after Aer Lingus revealed that up to 20,000 people would already be affected by flight cancellations due to a fly-by-night protest by pilots.

Starting Wednesday, 124 flights will be canceled over the next five days due to the overzeal.

Among the affected routes are services from Cork and Dublin to London Heathrow and services from Dublin to Paris, Amsterdam, Lyon, Berlin, Birmingham, Brussels, Düsseldorf, Rome, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Manchester, Munich, Vienna and JFK airport in New York.

The total strike will take place next Saturday June 29, from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m., at a time when thousands of people are due to fly for the summer holidays.

Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin urged both sides to use existing industrial relations mechanisms to end the dispute.

Captain Mark Tighe, president of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA), said pilots “have been forced to escalate this dispute following a campaign of antagonism from management. ‘Aer Lingus’.

He said: “Rather than meeting with IALPA for direct negotiations to resolve this dispute, the airline is sending letters to IALPA threatening to reduce members’ terms and conditions by unilaterally terminating collective agreements.

“Aer Lingus’ legal representatives have also written this week to each member of the IALPA Executive Committee, in their personal capacity, threatening High Court proceedings over alleged unlawful conduct relating to an alleged increase in employee absences. pilots due to illness.

“IALPA refutes this allegation in the strongest possible terms.”

An Aer Lingus spokesperson said the airline was dismayed that “IALPA could further escalate this industrial action, following the previously announced insidious action”.

The company said IALPA’s decision is “clearly designed to inflict maximum damage on passengers’ travel plans at the height of the holiday season.”

The company does not rule out further flight cancellations in the coming days.

Aer Lingus automatically rebooked some customers and began sending emails to all other customers, notifying them of the cancellation and informing them of their options: change their flight for free, request a refund, or request a voucher .

Ialpa is asking for a 24% salary increase, which they say is equivalent to inflation since the last salary increase in 2019.

Aer Lingus called the pay demands unrealistic and said no pay deal in Ireland had delivered such an increase.

Donal Moriarty, director of corporate affairs at Aer Lingus, said: “We would like to engage in direct discussions with Ialpa to reach a reasonable settlement to this pay dispute and we are trying to do so but, unfortunately, Ialpa has ended these discussions last Monday.

He said Aer Lingus pilots are already “very well paid” and their salaries are “in line” with market rates.

“They were offered a salary agreement for an increase of 12.25%, which they refused,” he said.

“We also tried to discuss with them the basis of this 12.25% by discussing productivity and flexibility improvements, but unfortunately Ialpa did not want to (engage) in these discussions.”

Around a quarter of all Ialpa members enjoy the highest salary, around €287,000, which includes the value of pensions and other benefits.

To reach that salary takes 26 years and several exams, representatives said.

Taoiseach Simon Harris said people needed to “step back” from the dispute.

“The Government is prepared for the parties to come together through the Government’s industrial relations mechanisms, and those mechanisms are available to all parties and I would encourage the parties to do so,” Mr Harris said .

“People need to step back from this.

“Of course, everyone has the right in their workplace to highlight an issue, I understand that. But what I don’t understand is that at this time of year, while people in As our country prepares to go on summer vacation, people who have worked hard and saved throughout the year are about to be seriously disconcerted by this action.

“I don’t think it’s justified, frankly, in terms of the impact it will have.

“The impact is disproportionate and (…) people need to take a step back.

“It will affect children and parents who are looking to go on vacation. It will also affect businesses and it will also affect people coming to our country in terms of tourism in these peak times.