Hundreds of Aer Lingus flights canceled as pilot strike underway

AER LINGUS has announced the cancellation of hundreds of flights while its pilots’ strike is underway.

Industrial action by the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) began at midnight yesterday, with pilots now refusing to work overtime, accept changes to staffing levels or respond to management demands for outside opening hours.

They also confirmed an eight-hour strike by pilots this Saturday, June 29.

Aer Lingus and IALPA have held discussions over the past week, since the union gave seven days’ notice to the airline’s management that its pilots would take industrial action this week.

They failed to reach an agreement on pilots’ pay increases, which is at the heart of the strike.

The union is demanding a 24 percent pay increase for its pilots.

Aer Lingus proposed a 12.25 per cent increase but said it was open to further discussions.

“Aer Lingus is available for direct and meaningful discussions with IALPA to find a solution to this pay dispute,” the Irish airline said earlier this week.

“The airline has repeatedly sought to engage directly with IALPA on ways to increase pilot pay beyond the 12.25% increase agreed with all other collectively bargained groups, on the basis for reaching an agreement on improving productivity and flexibility”, they added.

To minimize disruption to its passengers during the strike, Aer Lingus announced the cancellation of 120 flights on Saturday.

The move will impact 15,000 customers of the airline’s short-haul services.

They also “rescheduled long-haul flights” on June 28 and 29 “in order to avoid the cancellation of these services,” they explained.

Another 50 flights were canceled on July 1 and 2, the airline also confirmed.

“In order to continue to protect as many services as possible from the impact of IALPA’s ongoing industrial action, Aer Lingus has had to take the step of cancelling a further 50 flights over the course of Monday 1 July and Tuesday 2 July,” they said.

“Implementing these cancellations is intended to enable us to protect as many services as possible for as many of our customers as possible,” they added.

The airline and union are expected to resume negotiations today.

Customers scheduled to travel with Aer Lingus between June 26 and July 2 will have the opportunity to change their flight free of charge.

They will also be able to cancel their flight and claim a refund or credit.