Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (IALPA) President Mark Tighe said that whilst the situation in Iran was on everyone’s mind, Aer Lingus has similarly cancelled flights in previous years.
He believes the cancellations are due to a shortage of pilots. He described how pilots are frequently being contacted on their days off and asked to work.
Tighe also said that this year the company was unable to grant all of the annual leave pilots are contractually entitled to because of the shortages.
He said the airline is not suffering from a “fuel cost problem” because Aer Lingus hedges its aviation fuel unlike US operators who the company is in competition with.
“The situation in Iran is critical to our industry and we are watching carefully to see what happens going forward,” he continued.
