‘Delay in aviation sector restart plan risks thousands of job losses,’ warns pilots’ union 

Thousands of aviation workers have already either lost their jobs or been furloughed for over a year.

Hundreds of IALPA members will hold an outdoor meeting in Dublin this morning. Last week, Aer Lingus said it was closing its Shannon base, affecting 126 jobs there. The airline has already let go almost 600 staff. Photo: Aidan Crawley/Bloomberg

John Mulligan

Thousands of jobs in Ireland’s aviation sector risk being permanently lost because the Government has failed to implement a plan to restart international air travel, the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) has warned.

Hundreds of the union’s members will hold an outdoor meeting in north Dublin this morning to discuss the damage that is being done to the sector and how a recovery can be implemented.

The Cabinet is due to meet tomorrow to discuss issues including how to reopen the aviation sector and evaluate the controversial hotel quarantine system.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said last week that there needs to be an “effective rebooting” of the sector.

But the Cabinet recently postponed a planned discussion on aviation recovery because it was too busy with other matters, including the hacker attack on the HSE.

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Thousands of aviation workers, from pilots to cabin crew and staff at airports, have already either permanently lost their jobs or been furloughed for over a year. Those that have retained their jobs have seen deep pay cuts or rely on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

A delegation from Ialpa, including its president, Captain Evan Cullen, will travel to Government Buildings after the outdoor meeting this morning to submit a plan that the union says will enable the safe return of international air travel this summer.

All the pilots attending the meeting today in Dublin will undergo rapid antigen testing for Covid-19 upon arrival.

It will be overseen by medical professionals and Ialpa claims it will demonstrate its effectiveness and how it can play an “important role” in lifting restrictions and “potentially saving thousands of aviation jobs”.

“The Minister for Health commissioned a report that recommends the use of rapid antigen tests for travel, yet ignores its findings,” said Mr Cullen. “This unscientific approach to public health policy serves us all poorly.”

Last week, Aer Lingus announced that it was closing its Shannon base, affecting 126 jobs there. The airline has already let go almost 600 staff. It employed 5,000 people at the end of last June. It has warned of more job cuts as most of its fleet remains grounded.

Ialpa said the Government must “immediately and fully implement” the EU’s new Digital Green Certificate on the first day of a six-week grace period.

The union also wants the US removed from the mandatory hotel quarantine list.

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