Intending Aer Lingus passengers are assessing their options ahead of planned industrial action at the airline next week.
Aer Lingus pilots are set to begin a work-to-rule from Wednesday in a dispute over pay.
They are also planning an eight-hour strilke from 5am until 1pm next Saturday.
Aer Lingus has confirmed the cancellation of 124 flights during the first five days of the work-to-rule and said it was appalled by the decision to strike.
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke, has urged management and unions to get round the table and work out an agreement. He posted on X about the dispute.
I am urging Aer Lingus and Unions to get around the table and work out an agreement.
The Workplace Relations Commission stand ready to facilitate engagement.
— Peter Burke (@peterburkefg) June 21, 2024
He said the Workplace Relations Commission stood ready to facilitate a resolution to the dispute.
On Thursday Aer Lingus said it will have to cancel between 10% and 20% of flights in the first five days of a work-to-rule by members of the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA).
Read more: Explained: Customer rights if their flight is cancelled
Aer Lingus has described the work-to-rule as insidious, and said it is implementing the cancellations in order to protect as many services as possible.
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Aer Lingus Donal Moriarty criticised the formal notice served by IALPA of the eight-hour strike in addition to the work-to-rule as a “disgraceful escalation” of its industrial action.
He accused IALPA of having “total disregard for Aer Lingus customers and the travelling public” this summer.
IALPA President Captain Mark Tighe said: “We have been forced to escalate this dispute following a campaign of antagonism by Aer Lingus management directed toward our members.
“Rather than meeting with IALPA for direct negotiations to resolve this dispute, the airline is sending letters to IALPA threatening to cut members’ terms and conditions by unilaterally terminating collective agreements.
“Aer Lingus’ legal representatives have also written to each member of the IALPA executive committee this week, in their personal capacities, threatening to issue proceedings in the High Court for alleged unlawful conduct regarding an alleged increase in pilot absence due to illness.
“IALPA refutes this allegation in the strongest terms”, he said.
In an earlier statement, Aer Lingus said that between Wednesday 26 June and Sunday 30 June, 24 flights a day will be cancelled, impacting 4,000 customers per day.
The flights that have been cancelled are: short-haul Dublin to London Heathrow; Paris; Amsterdam; Lyons; Berlin; Birmingham; Brussels; Dusseldorf; Rome; Frankfurt; Geneva; Hamburg; Manchester; Munich; Vienna; as well as short-haul Cork to London Heathrow and long-haul Dublin to JFK.
Additional reporting: Brian O’Donovan
