Aer Lingus confirm list of 124 flights cancelled before major strike escalation

AER Lingus has cancelled 124 flights across pilots’ first five days of work-to-rule strike action from next week – before a major escalation with a new eight-hour weekend strike.

The airline said 20,000 punters will be impacted with 24 flights per day cancelled between Wednesday June 26 and Sunday June 30.

But IALPA members at Aer Lingus confirmed they’ll engage in an eight-hour strike from 5am to 1pm on Saturday June 29.

Passengers were to find out from today if their flights were cancelled, with thousands of customers left waiting to get through to jammed Aer Lingus call centres.

Aer Lingus this afternoon confirmed cancelled routes, with flights in and out of Ireland, the UK, Europe and the States all impacted.

Airline chiefs said the impact was at the lower end of the 10 to 20 per cent cancellation rate planned.

But they warned: “However, given the form of the industrial action, there may be additional cancellations which happen close to the time of travel.”

Confirming the new eight-hour strike move, IALPA President Captain Mark Tighe said: “We have been forced to escalate this dispute following a campaign of antagonism by Aer Lingus management directed toward our members.

“The scale of next week’s anticipated flight cancellations, as described by Aer Lingus, illustrates the extent to which the company relies on the flexibility and goodwill of pilots.

“We go above and beyond to provide a good service to our customers.

“The company has recently enjoyed a 400 per cent increase in profits, which demonstrates how much the company benefits directly from that flexibility and goodwill.

“As always, IALPA remains open to talking with Aer Lingus in direct negotiations to settle this dispute in a way that fairly deals with pilots’ pay.”

Aer Lingus condemned the decision in what they said was a move “to inflict further pain on passengers”.

Airline chiefs rapped: “IALPA’s decision is clearly designed to inflict maximum damage on passengers’ travel plans at the peak of the holiday season.

“Aer Lingus will assess the impact of this notice of strike action and do everything we can to minimise the further disruption this will cause to passengers.”

FLIGHTS CANCELLED ON JUNE 26:

• Cork to London Heathrow EI0724 8.30pm
• Dublin to Amsterdam EI0602 6.15am
• Dublin to Berlin/Brandenburg EI0332 6.40am
• Dublin to Birmingham EI0276 7.20pm
• Dublin to Brussels EI0638 5.55pm
• Dublin to Dusseldorf EI0698 5.30pm
• Dublin to Frankfurt EI0656 4.45pm
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0166 1.30pm
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0182 7.00pm
• Dublin to Manchester EI0208 12.50pm
• Dublin to Munich EI0356 4.25pm
• Dublin to New York JFK EI0105 11.05am
• Birmingham to Dublin EI0277 8.50pm
• London Heathrow to Cork EI0725 10.25pm
• London Heathrow to Dublin EI0167 3.50pm
• London Heathrow to Dublin EI0183 9.10pm
• Manchester to Dublin EI0209 2.25pm
• Amsterdam to Dublin EI0603 9.35am
• Berlin/Brandenburg to Dublin EI0333 10.40am
• Brussels to Dublin EI0639 9.20pm
• Dusseldorf to Dublin EI0699 9.05pm
• Frankfurt to Dublin EI0657 8.40pm
• Munich to Dublin EI0357 8.30pm
• Paris to Dublin EI0527 4.30pm
• New York JFK to Dublin EI0104 4.55pm

FLIGHTS CANCELLED ON JUNE 28:

• Cork to London Heathrow EI0724 8.30pm
• Dublin to Amsterdam EI0602 6.15am
• Dublin to Berlin/Brandenburg EI0332 6.40am
• Dublin to Birmingham EI0276 7.20pm
• Dublin to Brussels EI0638 5.55pm
• Dublin to Dusseldorf EI0698 5.30pm
• Dublin to Frankfurt EI0656 4.45pm
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0158 9.45am
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0164 12pm
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0182 7pm
• Dublin to Manchester EI0208 12.50pm
• Dublin to Munich EI0356 4.25pm
• Dublin to New York EI0105 11.05am
• Dublin to Paris EI0526 1pm
• Birmingham to Dublin EI0277 8.50pm
• London Heathrow to Cork EI0725 10.25pm
• London Heathrow to Dublin EI0165 2.20pm
• London Heathrow to Dublin EI0183 9.10pm
• Manchester to Dublin EI0209 2.25pm
• Amsterdam to Dublin EI0603 9.35am
• Berlin/Brandenburg to Dublin EI0333 10.40am
• Brussels to Dublin EI0639 9.35pm
• Dusseldorf to Dublin EI0699 9.05pm
• Frankfurt to Dublin EI0657 8.40pm
• Munich to Dublin EI0357 8.30pm
• Paris to Dublin EI0527 4.30pm
• New York JFK to Dublin EI0104 4.55pm

FLIGHTS CANCELLED ON JUNE 30:

• Cork to London Heathrow EI0724 8.30pm
• Dublin to Berlin/Brandenburg EI0332 6.40sm
• Dublin to Birmingham EI0276 7.20pm
• Dublin to Brussels EI0638 5.55pm
• Dublin to Dusseldorf EI0698 5.30pm
• Dublin to Frankfurt EI0656 4.45pm
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0168 2.30pm
• Dublin to London Heathrow EI0182 7pm
• Dublin to Lyon EI0550 6.15am
• Dublin to Manchester EI0208 12.50pm
• Dublin to Munich EI0356 4.25pm
• Dublin to New York JFK EI0105 11.05am
• Dublin to Paris EI0526 1pm
• Birmingham to Dublin EI0277 8.50pm
• London Heathrow to Cork EI0725 10.25pm
• London Heathrow to Dublin EI0169 4.50pm
• London Heathrow to Dublin EI0183 9.10pm
• Manchester to Dublin EI0209 2.25pm
• Berlin/Brandenburg to Dublin EI0333 10.40am
• Brussels to Dublin EI0639 9.20pm
• Dusseldorf to Dublin EI0699 9.05pm
• Frankfurt to Dublin EI0657 8.40pm
• Lyon to Dublin EI0551 10.10am
• Munich to Dublin EI0357 8.30pm
• Paris to Dublin EI0527 4.30pm
• New York JFK to Dublin EI0104 4.55pm

Pilots earlier this week served notice of their intention to launch an indefinite work-to-rule from next Wednesday, after the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association voted overwhelmingly for industrial action in a dispute over pay.

The pilots are seeking a pay increase of 24 per cent, which they say equates to inflation since the last pay rise in 2019.

‘SERIOUS QUESTIONS’

But Mark Tighe, president of the Irish Airline Pilots Association, said that cancelling up to 20 per cent of flights due to pilots choosing not to come in on their days off raises “serious questions about managements operation of the airline”.

He told RTE Radio One’s Morning Ireland: “By selling tickets, they’re committing to bring people from A to B and so they have to have enough pilots to do that.”

Tighe claimed “there’s a shortage of pilots” leading to added disruptions as they refuse to work on their days off.

And he couldn’t say as to when the work to rule action could wrap up, because talks between pilots and Aer Lingus have already gone on for almost two years.

The IALPA’s notice to strike will involve the pilots not working overtime or “any other out of hours duties requested by management”.

It will also involve the pilots only working the published rosters and “not accepting or working any amendments to published rosters”.

Pilots will not log into the Aer Lingus portal or e-crew outside of work hours nor will they answer phone calls outside of work hours.

Aer Lingus confirmed that ALL Aer Lingus regional flights – with flight numbers EI3000 – EI3999 – and all UK transatlantic flights to and from Manchester are NOT impacted by the industrial action.

Donal Moriarty, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Aer Lingus, said the airline was cancelling flights “to protect passengers and prevent the situation from becoming worse”.

And he said the airline is open to intervention from the Workplace Relations Commission to resolve the dispute.

IMPACT FEARS

Aer Lingus bosses blasted the “wholly unnecessary impact” on customers of the strike, and said many flight cancellations “may happen close to the time of travel”.

Aer Lingus confirmed several options will be made available to punters due to travel between June 26 and July 2 – including changing flights for free or cancelling flights and claiming a refund or voucher.

Chiefs confirmed: “We will do everything we can to minimise the impact for customers.

“However, it is inevitable that there will be disruption as a result of this industrial action, and we will communicate any changes, delays or cancellations to impacted customers as soon as possible.

“Where there are cancellations, we will look to re accommodate customers as quickly as possible and will work with other airlines, with partner airlines and seek to hire-in aircraft for this purpose.”