PILOTS’ UNION IALPA has agreed to talks with Aer Lingus, beginning tomorrow morning, a spokesperson for the union has confirmed.
A spokesperson stated that IALPA is very open to negotiations, and that any decision lies in the hands of the company.
Speaking on News At One on RTÉ, Aer Lingus’ chief corporate affairs office, Donal Moriarty, said that the company has written to IALPA informing the union that it has a meeting room booked and a time for them to meet.
“We’re waiting on a response to that request,” he said.
Industrial action by Aer Lingus pilots is underway, with 270 flights cancelled so far.
A spokesperson for the Taoiseach welcomed the development today regarding talks between Aer Lingus and IALPA.
“The Taoiseach has been clear this dispute is having a disproportionate impact on the travelling public. All disputes are resolved by compromise and negotiation. The Taoiseach urges both sides to engage in good faith to resolve this dispute,” the spokesperson said.
The Irish Travel Agents Association has also welcomed the news, with CEO Claire Dunne saying: “We are asking them to sit down in a respectful, sensible manner and find the solution that is there to be found.
“Disputes all end sooner or later – it is within their power to make it sooner.”
Members of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) began an indefinite work-to-rule at midnight, with an all-out strike planned for an eight-hour period on Saturday.
Both Aer Lingus and IALPA attended separate meetings with the Labour Court yesterday in a bid to resolve the dispute.
However, the Court said it would not be intervening at this time and would review the matter in July.
Aer Lingus said it was “disappointed” with the Labour Court’s “assessment that it is unable to assist in the dispute at this time”.
The Labour Court previously recommended a 9.25% pay increase for pilots, but this was rejected and IALPA balloted its members on industrial action.
Michael McGrath, who was yesterday named as Ireland’s next European Commissioner, told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that it is “concerning” that the Labour Court meetings ended without a “foundation for further engagement”.
He noted that the Labour Court has “tremendous expertise” but that Aer Lingus and IALPA need to “recognise the reality”.
“This dispute is hurting ordinary people, hurting the Irish economy, hurting our reputation,” said McGrath.
“The sooner they sit around the table, the better because the damage is only going to grow and this will be resolved, but does that have to come after a protracted dispute that causes an even greater level of damage? I would hope it doesn’t.”
IALPA is seeking a pay increase of 23.8% over three years, which it says is “clearly reasonable and affordable for a profitable company such as Aer Lingus.”
In 2023, Aer Lingus had a full year operating profit of €225 million.
This was a 400% increase on 2022, when a full year operating profit of €45 million was recorded.
Speaking earlier this week, Aer Lingus’s chief corporate affairs officer Donal Moriarty said the airline is “perfectly willing to engage in proposals that would see their pay increase beyond 12.25%”.
This morning, president of IALPA Mark Tighe said members “do not want to be in this situation” but are there as a result of “corporate greed” on behalf of Aer Lingus.
Aer Lingus is a part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), which includes British Airways.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Tighe said IAG has already offered a 24% pay increase to British Airways’ pilots and that British Airways has a similar operating margin.
Tighe added that is it not IALPA’s “desire” to significantly disrupt passengers and that the industrial action is the “direct result of management actions”.
He also remarked that “everything is on the table” in terms of escalating the industrial action and that the next steps will depend on what Aer Lingus does.
No delays have been reported at Dublin Airport on the first day of industrial action.
An Aer Lingus employee also told The Journal that no passengers have arrived so far for cancelled flights.
Amy and Joby from Cork City are among the Aer Lingus passengers in Dublin Airport today and are flying out to San Diego for a trip they have saved for and looked forward to for some time.
Amy said that while she understands why the pilots are undertaking this action, she thinks it’s a “bit unfair” that customers are feeling the brunt of the impact.
“We were still not sure how it would go today but everything seems normal now that we are here, but we didn’t get any confirmation the flight was going ahead until we got here today,” Amy said.
Meanwhile, Joby told The Journal that he supports the industrial action as Aer Lingus “make enough money” and can “afford to pay people properly”.
“Customers might be affected, but that’s the airlines fault,” he added.
The Irish Travel Agents Association said they have now managed to rebook or arrange refunds for the majority of their customers who have been impacted by cancellations.
Some 270 flights have been cancelled between today and Tuesday 2 July, with around 50 of these cancellations being announced yesterday evening.
However, the industrial action being undertaken is indefinite and could lead to further flight cancellations beyond 2 July.
There is also the possibility that over the coming days, passengers will only be informed of flight cancellations at the departure gate.
He added that this could result in “close-in cancellations caused by pilot unavailability and refusal to work to the contractual flexibility that they have”.
More than 35,000 passengers have been impacted by flight cancellations, but Moriarty said on Monday that Aer Lingus has “managed to re-accommodate, refund or rebook 80%” of these and that work is ongoing to do the same with the rest.
Yesterday, Taoiseach Simon Harris called on both parties to “engage” and “dig deep” rather than “putting people through agony and chaos”.
He said there will be “very little sympathy” for anybody who “puts the travelling public through utter chaos” and causes “families to have their summer holidays cancelled… if they’re not engaging and engaging intensively”.
-With additional reporting from Eimer McAuley
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