Aer Lingus to lay off staff at Shannon Airport

FIANNA Fáil TD for Limerick Niall Collins has called on Aer Lingus to outline its restructuring plan for Shannon amid fears that jobs at the airport could be lost for good.

It has emerged this Wednesday that Aer Lingus has told its Shannon-based cabin crew that they are to be temporarily laid off, while those based in Dublin and Cork are to see rosters and pay reduced from 50% to 30% of normal.

Deputy Collins has received correspondence from workers who have been told that they are being let go from the end of June until the end of August.

He wants a guarantee from the company and the government that the semi-State airline is not pulling out of Shannon indefinitely.

“I received a very worrying email this afternoon stating that some Aer Lingus staff at Shannon Airport have been contacted to say that they are being let go from June 21 until at least August 29.  They have been advised to apply for the Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment or jobseekers’ allowance.  This has come as a shock to workers and they are understandably worried about their future,” said Deputy Collins.

Aer Lingus is currently not operating any flights out of Shannon Airport.

“I understand that the Covid-19 pandemic is having disastrous consequences for the airline industry, however, I am frustrated that it appears as if Shannon Airport is the sole target for job losses. This is deeply unfair.  For too long Shannon has been treated as the poor relation of Dublin and Cork airports, despite being a major transatlantic hub.

“There is a real fear that if Aer Lingus ceases operations out of Shannon for two months, the services and routes may never return. That is simply not an option.

“I have written to the CEO of Aer Lingus and to the Transport Minister Shane Ross seeking clarification on the current situation.  The government has a role to play here – and it must engage with our national carrier to ensure that services and staff are protected.

“Shannon Airport is a vital piece of State infrastructure and it needs more investment, not less.  I will be pursuing this issue with the Minister and Sean Doyle from Aer Lingus over the coming days”.