Latest: Ryanair Irish-based pilots to strike Friday and Tuesday; 300 European flights cancelled ahead of further strikes
Strikes by Ryanair's Irish-based pilots are to go ahead this Friday, July 20 and next Tuesday, July 24.
It is after talks involving the pilots union and Ryanair management broke up without agreement this evening.
Irish Pilot Strike Update: By 5pm today, over 90% of our 4,000 customers whose Ireland-UK flights on Fri 20 July were cancelled due to an unnecessary strike by 25% of our Irish pilots will have been re-accommodated on alternative flights, or applied for full refunds.
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 18, 2018
The airline has already cancelled 24 flights between Ireland and the UK on Friday, ahead of the strike.
Ryanair says four thousand passengers have been offered alternative flights.
Pilots, who are directly employed by Ryanair, are in dispute with the company over base transfers, annual leave and seniority.
Meanwhile, a further 300 flights across Europe have been cancelled due to cabin crew strikes in Belgium, Portugal and Spain next Wednesday, 25 and Thursday, 26 July.
Ryanair confirmed earlier today that almost 50,000 customers travelling to and from Belgium, Portuga and Spain have been affected and have been offered re-accommodation on alternative flights.
Ryanair has announced the cancellation of around 300 flights across Europe next week, due to a strike by cabin crew in Spain, Portugal and Belgium.
Ryanair to cancel up to 300 of 2,400 daily flights next Wed 25 and Thurs 26 to minimise disruption to customers from unnecessary strikes by some cabin crew in Belgium, Portugal and Spain: pic.twitter.com/qTsmq3lCPI
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) July 18, 2018
The strikes are to take place on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 of next week.
The airline says the cancellations impact about 12% of all its scheduled flights.
The affected flights are to and from Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
It is not clear at this point how many flights from Irish airports will be cancelled.
Management and pilots at Ryanair are to meet again for talks this afternoon in a bid to avert Friday's strike.
The airline has cancelled 24 flights between Ireland and the UK - as staff pilots hold their second strike.
Ryanair has said the strike is unnecessary, while pilots' representatives say their industrial action is a last resort.
The dispute centres on seniority arrangements for pilots - and how they are allocated to bases.
