The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has warned of pending disruptions to outbound holiday plans following news that Aer Lingus pilots have voted in favour of industrial action; and has called for a resolution to the ongoing pay dispute at the airline.
Aer Lingus pilots aligned to the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) trade union voted in favour of industrial action on Tuesday. This is strongly expected to result in strike action later this month, if talks cannot resolve the issue.
The pilots – who have not seen a pay change since before the Covid crisis – are seeking a near 24% pay increase in line with Aer Lingus’ recent profit growth and general inflation, and have already refused an interim 9.25% increase recommended by the Labour Court.
Talks between IALPA and Aer Lingus management are set to resume today.
In the meantime, the ITAA has urged the parties to find a solution in order to avoid chaos for Irish holidaymakers this summer.
Angela Walsh, President of the ITAA, said: “The ITAA is urging Aer Lingus and unions to reach a resolution and avoid any disruptive strike action. Any pilot strike over the summer months will cause serious impact for both holidaymakers and corporate travellers, as we are in the busiest travel period of the year, with knock-on effects on accommodation reservations and connecting travel.”
“Travel agents are on the front line when strikes, cancellations and other disruptions occur and are the first port of call for customers. While we are always happy to minimise all disruption for our customers, we urge the airline and greater travel industry to put the consumer first in an effort to avoid such disruption to travel plans.”
“Those who have booked with a travel agent can contact their agent in the case that any strike is confirmed and we will work to rearrange travel plans to the best of our abilities.”
