AER Lingus pilots flying on the airline's short-haul routes have said they will have to be convinced that the pay rise offer should be accepted over the coming days. IALPA , the professional body for Irish airline pilots, voted to recommend accepting a Labour Court deal which includes a 17.75 per cent pay rise over four years.
It is understood that the loss of an agreement that provided a work-life balance to cockpit crews has already created some resistance to the agreement. The union is preparing to ballout its members starting next Thursday. Aer Lingus will only have its schedule back to normal on Wednesday despite pilots ending their work-to-rule.
Between today and next Tuesday, 87 flights remain cancelled, and over 90,000 passengers have been affected by the industrial action. About 600 flights have been cancelled since the start of the industrial action. The dispute, including the cost of rebooking passengers and refunds, is likely to have cost Aer Lingus tens of millions of euros.
In a statement, Aer Lingus said: "Customers impacted by these latest cancellations will be given the option to change their flights for free. They will also be able to claim a refund or voucher. "These options will be communicated directly to impacted customers as well as travel agents, while the Aer Lingus' Travel Advisory' page will also have up to the minute information on all the options.
"Aer Lingus fully understands the anxiety being experienced by customers given the uncertainty caused.