Aer Lingus will be forced to cancel 10% of its flight schedule due to a dispute with cabin crew over longer working hours.
The Irish airline said cuts, especially on high-frequency routes, would be “subject to daily review.” Aer Lingus has raised the number of annual flight hours to 850 from 830 as part of cost-cuts to help the airline make a profit.
Talks on the new rosters started in autumn and were introduced last week. The airline said 180 cabin crew had been removed from the payroll for failing to work longer hours and it had commenced disciplinary proceedings against them, which could result in their termination.
The carrier said it would continue to lease aircraft and crew from other airlines, adding that the financial cost was “not material in the context of the group’s operations.”
“However, a continuation of the dispute could have an adverse impact on passenger bookings which could, in turn, have a potentially significant impact on the group’s trading performance,” the airline said. Around 12 flights were cancelled yesterday (Tuesday).