The unresolved pay dispute among pilots of Aer Lingus has resulted in the airline forfeiting a second new aircraft. It was reported on Friday that a planned A321 XLR aircraft will be potentially reassigned within the AIG parent company, also including British Airways, Iberia, and Vueling.
This decision was made following a previous move to assign a newly procured Airbus A320 XLR to Iberia, after attempts at solving the pay disagreement proved unsuccessful. IAG had previously cautioned that the deadlock might hinder further investments in the Irish airline.
The voting process by the carrier’s pilots on temporary Labour Court suggestions for a deal resolution is set to conclude by Monday. On Friday, the airline’s spokeswoman mentioned that due to their inability to assure IAG about their cost structure, the first A321 XLR initially intended for Aer Lingus was allotted to an affiliate within the group.
Given the recent timeline for a decision on aircraft painting, the second XLR aircraft will not bear Aer Lingus branding and might be reassigned within the group.
The Labour Court, last week, proposed a 9.25 per cent total pay rise for the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) members and recommended resumption of stalled discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). Despite these proposals, the Ialpa executive suggested its members refuse the offer, a vote that commenced on Tuesday.
The core issues affecting Ialpa members, as per the association, remain unresolved by the Labour Court recommendations. Although Aer Lingus accepted the Labour Court’s recommendations last week, promising to contemplate an interim plan, a primary conflict persists over the cost of additional summer leave flexibility for its pilots, a benefit agreed upon with Ialpa in 2019.
While the airline projected that the cost of providing flexible leave would push the increase demanded by Ialpa to 27 per cent, the union claims it would only amount to 23.88 per cent. Ialpa, however, seeks more than a 20 per cent pay raise to offset the sharp rise in living costs since 2019 among other factors.
The ongoing dispute since last January has begun impacting the airline’s operational investments, as highlighted by the recent announcements.
Earlier this year, Luis Gallego, the head of AIG, gave some hints about forthcoming developments. He expressed that although there were discussions of expanding the fleet in Ireland, he asserted that without a contract, these new aircrafts would not be operational in Aer Lingus.