Fórsa, which represents approximately 2,000 cabin crew employed at Aer Lingus, is continuing its engagement with union members, following the tabling of cost restructuring proposals by Aer Lingus two weeks ago. The union is also engaging with the airline on those proposals.

Fórsa’s priorities in discussions is to continue to protect cabin crew jobs at the airline, and to ensure sustainable employment terms as the aviation industry commences recovery from the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The context in which Fórsa is currently engaged with Irish airlines is uniquely challenging.

Earlier this month Fórsa’s senior official Ashley Connolly warned the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications Networks that airlines operating in Ireland have the flexibility to move aircraft to more open markets to meet demand.

The capacity of airline employers to move aircraft to other markets puts Ireland at risk of being left behind as global aviation reopens. This puts thousands of Irish jobs at risk.

Fórsa has called on the Government to provide leadership, clarity and certainty for the aviation sector in order to guard against widespread job losses in the industry.

Report

Meanwhile, a new report from Eurocontrol, the EU-wide organisation of air navigation authorities, predicts that traffic in Ireland will recover to just 43% of 2019 levels this year. That estimate indicates that the Republic’s aviation recovery will remain behind that of the rest of Europe, where traffic is expected to reach 50% of 2019 totals.

Fórsa represents 5,000 members in airlines, airports, air navigation bases, aviation regulatory bodies, and air traffic control.