Aer Lingus 'to carry quarter of passengers' facing disruption
Embattled Aer Lingus chiefs tonight vowed to carry almost a quarter of its passengers facing disruption during next week’s planned pilots’ strike.
Planes and flight crews have been leased for limited services out of Dublin, Cork and Shannon if the 480 staff follow through with their threat to walk out next Tuesday and Wednesday.
But management remained adamant they would not talk to unions with a strike threat hanging over them as the row over the controversial decision to axe Shannon-Heathrow services in favour of a Belfast route continued.
Aer Lingus hopes to carry up to 10,000 out of the 55,000 passengers booked on hundreds of flights over the 48 hour period.
Enda Corneille, the airline’s commercial director, said operations would be mainly short-haul across Europe.
“We are continuing to work on it and we are still looking to source further aircraft,” he said.
No deal has been struck to have transatlantic flights in the sky but Mr Corneille said staff were seeking 747 jets for its US services.
Planes have been leased for flights out of Dublin to Heathrow, Amsterdam, Manchester, Malaga and Faro; Shannon to Heathrow and from Cork to several European destinations. The Aer Lingus website will be updated with all flight information.
The company also issued a swift rebuke to the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) branch of trade union Impact who offered to go into talks with industrial relations trouble-shooters at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
Aer Lingus insisted the strike threat would have to be lifted first.
Earlier, LRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey said the disruptive action, which will affect 50,000 passengers, has the potential to be settled.
“I don’t think we need this dispute. I don’t think it’s desirable. I think potentially it can be settled – all disputes potentially are,” Mr Mulvey said.
“I believe there is sufficient time for the parties to sit down to come to some interim arrangement if necessary without putting at risk any commercial decision the company has made in relation to Belfast.”
Ialpa pilots are angry Belfast-based Aer Lingus staff will be paid less than than other flight crews but the company insists the salary package compares favourably.
Mr Mulvey said he feared for the future of Aer Lingus if industrial disputes continued to hamper the airline.
Aer Lingus is facing opposition to its plan right across the board with tourist chiefs, hoteliers, clergy, industrialists, unions, shareholders and local TDs all vowing to resist it.
The newly-formed lobby group, Atlantic Connectivity Alliance, which is leading the fight, called on the Government to back a Ryanair proposal to block the move.
They want an extraordinary general meeting convened with shareholders - including unions, Ryanair and the Government who together hold more than 50% of the company – given a chance to vote.
Aer Lingus has less than three weeks to respond.
Meanwhile, the Government has given no indication it will intervene to force Aer Lingus into a u-turn. Transport Minister Noel Dempsey has expressed concern over the Shannon pull-out but offered nothing to suggest he would fight the plan.
Senior Aer Lingus executives are to meet businessmen, industrialists and local politicians in the Mid-West on Friday.
Impact official Michael Landers said the pilots were also willing to engage.
“The problem has been that the airline has refused to engage with us and has pushed ahead to establish a base in Belfast, with complete disregard to its obligations,” Mr Landers said.
