Summary
- Aer Lingus pilots agreed to a new pay deal that will offer significant pay improvements until 2026.
- The union representing the Irish airline’s pilots, the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA), reiterated that a strike was avoidable.
- However, the pay dispute had resulted in IAG, the parent company of Aer Lingus, allocating the first delivery of an A321XLR to Iberia, another IAG-owned airline.
Aer Lingus pilots, represented by the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA), have voted to accept a new pay deal, which will offer significant pay increases and last until the end of 2026.
Biggest pay increase in three decades
In a statement on July 23, IALPA detailed that its members, who are also Aer Lingus pilots, voted by 85% to accept Ireland’s Labour Court’s recommendation, with 96% of the pilots voting on the new labor agreement with the airline.
Photo: Bradley Caslin | Shutterstock
The pilot union detailed that IALPA members will see their pay rise by 19.2% by the end of 2026, with the negotiations also solving key issues regarding rostering and allowances.
Mark Tighe, the president of IALPA, highlighted that this was the greatest pay award seen in 30 years for Aer Lingus pilots.
“Throughout negotiations, management were seeking work practice changes to fund our pay award. However, no work practice changes were conceded in this pay dispute, nor will they be in the future.”
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Aer Lingus will not be the launch customer due to a pilot dispute.
Avoidable strike
Tighe added that companies making a lot of profit must ensure that their employees’ salaries reflected the success of the company, with pay being protected from inflation.
However, IALPA’s president said that it was disappointing that Aer Lingus did not conclude an agreement with the union before the Irish Labour Court issued its recommendation.
“IALPA believes that the industrial action which affected our passengers was wholly avoidable.”
Photo: Bradley Caslin | Shutterstock
When the airline’s pilots voted to strike, Aer Lingus, in a statement to Simple Flying on June 6, the Irish carrier stated that the strike was also unnecessary and that the airline was surprised that IALPA initiated the vote before it had met Aer Lingus’ representatives.
“IALPA have rejected the outcomes of multiple independent processes which have sought to resolve the issue, including a Pilot Pay Tribunal report which recommended a 3-year pay deal similar to that which has been agreed by other employee groups (i.e., an increase in consolidated pay for pilots of 12.25%, and a 1.5% unconsolidated pay increase).”
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Aer Lingus Pilots Vote To Strike As IAG Reallocates New Airbus A321XLR
The two sides have failed to reach an agreement even with the Irish Labour Court’s involvement.
Losing A321XLR launch customer status
Nevertheless, during the pilot dispute, Aer Lingus lost its launch customer status for the Airbus A321XLR, with the International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of the Irish airline and British Airways, Iberia, LEVEL, and Vueling, reallocating the delivery slot to Iberia.
Photo: Airbus
While Iberia has planned to launch flights with the type in November, Airbus had finally certified the A321XLR on July 19. The certification of the aircraft came after a five-year campaign to gain the authorities’ approval of the type, with so far, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) being the only regulator to have approved the A321XLR.
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Aer Lingus Pilots Vote To Strike As IAG Reallocates New Airbus A321XLR
The two sides have failed to reach an agreement even with the Irish Labour Court’s involvement.