CITYJET PILOTS WHO face possible jobs losses are set to protest in Dublin this morning. 

Members of the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) at CityJet will protest at its offices in Swords near Dublin Airport from 11am.

They say that the troubled airline has outsourced their jobs by flying aircraft registered in Ireland but flown by pilots outside of the country. 

Around 270 jobs at CityJet’s Dublin Airport base are at risk, including 57 pilots as a court-appointed examiner puts together a rescue plan for the airline. 

“We were informed last week that the majority of the 57 pilots will no longer be employed by CityJet,” said Fórsa trade union official Ian McDonnell.

“A small number of them will have the option to relocate outside of Ireland if and when required. Otherwise they face redundancy along with their other pilot and cabin crew colleagues, and this is despite some progress where a number of jobs were committed to remain in Dublin last week.”

In April, the High Court appointed an interim examiner to the Dublin-based regional airline. In order to counter its difficulties, plans had been put in place with its creditors to restructure the business, it said at the time. 

McDonnell said that CityJet will have to hire new pilots for remaining operations but has told Ialpa that these roles will be outside of Ireland. 

“CityJet is using this examinership process to reduce its debt with the help of the Irish courts, while at the same time off-shoring Irish jobs,” he said. 

“This is why pilots are protesting at the airline’s offices today. They have done all they can to maintain a base and jobs here, but the company have abandoned them.”

CityJet is one of a number of airlines impact by the grounding of flights due to Covid-19. 

Last week, Aer Lingus announced up to 500 job losses as a result of the impact of Covid-19, which it said was having a “catastrophic effect on the aviation industry”.

TheJournal.ie previously reported that CityJet and Stobart Air asked the government for a six-month bailout to ensure their survival beyond the Covid-19 crisis.

In a co-signed letter to Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe in April, Stobart Air and CityJet said they required “immediate grant support in order to survive” the pandemic.

The airlines accounted for over 13% of total air traffic at Ireland’s airports before the pandemic, when they also employed over 1,700 staff between them.