Aer Lingus strike poses serious threat to tourism

Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, Paul O’Toole has said that the ongoing crisis with Aer Lingus poses a serious threat to tourism in Ireland.

Tourism is currently worth £2.1 billion to the economy and employs in excess of 150,000 people, and the one-day pilots' strike planned for Thursday May 30 is likely to affect visiting numbers to the country.

Responding to the ongoing situation Mr O’Toole said: “The cessation of Aer Lingus flights and the uncertainty of future flights could seriously damage tourism into the island of Ireland.

"We have already lost 20% of direct capacity from the US this year and we cannot afford to lose more air seats. Competitive and convenient access is essential if we are to succeed in increasing tourism numbers into Ireland. Aer Lingus has been a key player in contributing to the success of Irish tourism both as Ireland’s national carrier and as one of our principle promotional partners.

“As we now enter the main tourist season, it is vital there is a speedy resolution to this dispute, as any delay would seriously damage the livelihoods of the many thousands dependent on the tourism industry in Ireland."

As well as the one-day strike on Thursday, Aer Lingus is set to suspend a number of its flights on Friday May 31 after a dispute over rest times with several of its pilots.

In a statement issued by the company it said: "As a result of strike action by pilots on Thursday May 30 and their ongoing refusal to co-operate with the full implementation of the Survival Plan, Aer Lingus will not be in a position to recommence operations on Friday 31st May. This position will be kept under review on a daily basis."

Most flights from Dublin, Cork and Shannon were affected on Thursday, which left around 17,000 passengers stranded.

The strike comes in the midst of a dispute over reduced rest times for flight crews introduced last October as part of a new work rota aimed at improving efficiency.

Irish pilots' union, Impact, called for Thursday's walkout after seven pilots were suspended for refusing to stick to the new work schedules.

The airline's board of directors is due to meet to discuss the likely impact of the strike.

(MB)