Aer Lingus to cut up to 1,500 jobs
Up to 1,500 jobs are set to go at Aer Lingus as part of a €74 million cost cutting programme.
The jobs will be cut through redundancy, early retirement and outsourcing with a deadline of November 1.
According to reports in the Irish Times, the company is looking to outsource all of its ground operations, catering and cargo services and make radical changes to the way it hires cabin crew.
Staff will be offered the opportunity to move to the outsourced providers, under the same terms as their current jobs, or take redundancy.
For cabin crew, Aer Lingus plans to close down its bases in London Heathrow and Shannon, giving staff the chance to relocate to Dublin or Cork.
For its transatlantic flights, the airline wants to employ cabin crew in the US on new terms and conditions, which are believed to include being paid by the flight hour and shorter holiday entitlements.
The airline also wants to implement a pay freeze until the end of 2009 for all remaining staff, and sick pay entitlements are being reduced.
Trade union SIPTU, which represents about 1,700 staff at the airline, said it will co-operate with Aer Lingus and the Labour Relations Commission to try to find alternatives, but it will also ballot for industrial action.
Aer Lingus said the cost-cutting programme was necessary to ensure the long-term independence of the airline.
The company is forecasting potential losses of over €100 million next year, depending on the cost of fuel.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Airbnb eyes a loyalty program but details remain under wraps
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026