Flights resume after Aer Lingus pilot strike disrupts journeys affecting 17,000 passengers

Flights have resumed for Aer Lingus passengers following a stoppage on Saturday morning which affected 17,000 of the airline’s passengers.

The eight hour strike by the Irish Air Line Pilots Association (Ialpa) lasted from 5am to 1pm and affected Aer Lingus flights in and out of Ireland.

Some 500 Aer Lingus pilots marched in the rain around Dublin Airport on Saturday as their trade union president warned the company to accept that their pay demands were reasonable ahead of Labour Court hearings on their dispute.

Most members of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) at the company gathered in full uniform at the Aer Lingus head office shortly after beginning an eight-hour strike at 5am to march around both Dublin Airport’s terminals to a picket line.

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Pilots halted work on Saturday morning, stepping an ongoing industrial action that began this week in pursuit of a long-running pay claim. Aer Lingus has cancelled hundreds of flights in response “to protect as many services as possible”.

[ David McWilliams: Aer Lingus pilots are unlikely revolution leaders but wages will have to rise for social peace ]

Speaking on the picket line, Ialpa president Capt Mark Tighe declared the number “pitching up on a soft Irish summer’s morning like this” spoke volumes for pilots’ confidence in their pay claim.

Ialpa, part of trade union Fórsa, is seeking an increase of more than 20 per cent. Capt Tighe noted the union had moderated its stance significantly through 22 months of talks with Aer Lingus, including at negotiations that broke down on Thursday.

Pilots say their demand will cost the company less than €5 million extra a year, but Aer Lingus argues the figure is closer to €40 million.

Aer Lingus morning flights to the United States were moved to the afternoon. A total of 125 flights were affected.

Aer Lingus spokeswoman Olivia Buckley said they were “continuing to manage the schedule” and have announced the cancellation of flights in advance next week so that customers will know to make alternative arrangements.

“We need to give certainty to people next week. It is a very difficult time for passengers when they are planning and looking forward to their summer holidays,” she said.

The Labour Court has invited both parties back on Monday for further talks and the offer has been accepted by the airline and the unions. “We hope that the engagement on Monday could lead to an outcome where we see normality return for the travelling public,” she said.

A group of 14 American High School students had to divert from Athens to Milan instead of Dublin on their way back to Boston.

They arrived into their hotel at 3am on Saturday morning and were given taxi vouchers for the airport. The will now arrive back into Boston a day later than planned.

Monday will be the third time the dispute has gone to the Labour Court. Most recently, Aer Lingus and Ialpa met the court separately on Tuesday, but that intervention failed to resolve the row.

Aer Lingus accused Ialpa of damaging the airline’s finances and reputation and apologised to passengers hit by Saturday’s strike.

Aer Lingus passenger Mark Robins said he was due to travel to London on Wednesday to see a sick relative and he was given a few days notice to change his flights.

“The options that are available are super-expensive. It looks like I’m going to have spend €800 because we could only swap within the same price category,” he said.

“The offer to swap means that you have to pay far more at the height of the summer season for it.”

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