Flight cancellations are inevitable if a planned strike by Aer Lingus pilots goes ahead next week, the airline said.
On Tuesday the Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) gave notice that it would be working under the rules for an indefinite period from June 26 as part of an ongoing pay dispute.
99% of IALPA member pilots voted in support of action, including a strike.
Aer Lingus chief corporate operations officer Donal Moriarty told Irish broadcaster RTÉ that the impact of the industrial action next week would be significant.
“This will undoubtedly cause cancellations and it will undoubtedly be significant as the level of cancellations will likely increase and accumulate over time,” he said.
He told RTÉ’s Drivetime show the measures were “designed to have the maximum adverse effect on customers”.
“It’s designed to create a lot of chaos, particularly with the clause prohibiting roster changes,” Moriarty said.
“So, inevitably, there will be cancellations and the number of cancellations will probably increase by the day.”
He said he had called on IALPA members to negotiate with them through the Workplace Relations Committee (WRC) but they had so far refused to do so.
IALPA members overwhelmingly rejected the Labour Court’s recommendation that pilots’ wages should be increased by a total of 9.25% as part of an interim settlement.
This figure was well below the 23.8% that pilots were seeking.
Aer Lingus described the requested price increases as “outrageous, excessive and unacceptable”.
IALPA says previous pay offers fail to take into account inflation, Aer Lingus’ huge profits and the sacrifices pilots have made to keep the airline running during the coronavirus pandemic.
IALPA chairman Captain Mark Tighe said on Monday that Aer Lingus management needed to “understand the strength of emotions” and “ensure pilots do not back down”.