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A Wexford basketball team is uncertain about their return flight from the US
Aer Lingus pilots have begun industrial action in an ongoing dispute with the airline over pay.
Members of the Irish Air Line Pilot’s Association (IALPA) began an indefinite work-to-rule at midnight on Wednesday.
An eight-hour strike from 05:00 -13:00 BST is also planned for Saturday.
Separate meetings on Tuesday at the Labour Court in Dublin involving the IALPA and Aer Lingus failed to reach a resolution.
The trade union is calling for a 24% pay rise for members.
What are passengers saying?
Adam Courtliff
Adam Courtliff (right) and his father last met at the Carabao Cup final in England earlier this year
Adam Courtliff was due to fly to Düsseldorf on Saturday from Dublin to go to a Uefa European Football Championship match, but his flight has now been cancelled.
Although living in Belfast, Mr Courtliff is originally from Manchester and supports England, who are set to play in Gelsenkirchen on Sunday.
He was due to meet his father, who had also planned to travel from Saudi Arabia for the match.
“I only see my dad once or twice a year,” he added. “It’s not just about the game.”
The 30-year-old told BBC News NI he has experienced “radio silence” from Aer Lingus.
The operator e-mailed him on Monday to say they would be in contact within 48 hours, but, he added: “I’ve not heard anything since. I’ve not got time to sit on hold for three or four hours.
“It’s quite poor of them to say they’d be in contact and then nothing.”
He said he has priced alternative travel arrangements but they are out of his budget and would require him to fly via Edinburgh and spend many hours in the airport there.
‘We had a backup plan’
Igiehon Elite Academy, a Wexford basketball team is due to head to Newark, New Jersey from Dublin on Wednesday for a basketball tournament and training academy.
Team member Daniel Walsh said: “We had heard about the strikes so we came an hour early.
“There’s 50 or so of us going over for an academy and we’re all on the same flight.
“We did check with the airline, our coach reached out to our flight agent and checked too. Our flight wasn’t cancelled, but we had a backup anyway for United Airlines.”
The team is returning from New Jersey with Aer Lingus too, but does not know what will happen.
The scene at Dublin Airport early on Wednesday morning
Ronan Sheridan from Cavan left his sister to Dublin Airport, after she had her flight changed.
“My sister is going to New York and at the last minute, we had to change the flight to American Airlines.
“She had some pre-warning so I think it was pretty well organised”
Hundreds of flights cancelled
The airline said it was disappointed the Labour Court did not intervene in the dispute but will instead review the matter in July.
“Aer Lingus will continue to focus on minimising the disruption caused to customers by IALPA’s industrial action,” it said in a statement.
The airline said it “has made it clear that it remains available for discussions both directly and through the state’s industrial relations framework”.
The total number of flights cancelled as a result of the industrial action, Aer Lingus said, has now risen to 270.
All Aer Lingus UK regional flights, operated by Emerald Airlines, and Aer Lingus UK transatlantic flights to and from Manchester will operate as scheduled.
It called on IALPA to “consider the damage that its continued industrial action is inflicting upon passengers, the company and the Irish economy”.
A full list of cancelled flights up to and including 2 July can be found on the airline’s website.
It said: “The nature of this industrial action may lead to further cancellations and delays and we will communicate directly with impacted customers as soon as possible.”
Ronan Sheridan from Cavan was leaving his sister to Dublin Airport
How much are Aer Lingus pilots paid?
Co-pilots can start out at about €36,000 (£30,400), with packages increasing based on actual flying hours.
Irish broadcaster RTÉ reports a captain at the top of the scale can be paid about €287,000 (£242,000).
There are differences for pilots depending on whether flights are short or long-haul.
IALPA are seeking a 24% pay rise for members it said had not been given a pay uplift since 2019 to reflect inflation.
Its president, Capt Mark Tighe, said Aer Lingus management “have refused to see the reasonableness of our accumulative inflationary pay claim”.
He added an “acceptable offer” would see the industrial action end.
PA Media
Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association president Mark Tighe
On Tuesday, Taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris called for Aer Lingus and IALPA to engage intensively at the Labour Court to avoid “utter chaos” for passengers.
He urged both sides to “dig deep”, calling for “compromise, engagement and sitting around a table”.
Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Micheál Martin said there was “an urgent necessity” to find a resolution.
The public, he added, was being ignored by both sides in the dispute.
What do I do if my Aer Lingus flight is cancelled?
The airline has said passengers with flights booked between 26 June and 2 July have a number of options available.
Each should be contacted via email or SMS, or through their travel agent.
For customers who have booked directly with Aer Lingus, there is the option to change flights online.
The company said it will waive the fare difference and any change fee if rebooking for a later date.
There is also the option to request a full refund or a refund voucher, which can be redeemed within five years.
Aer Lingus said passengers who booked through a travel agent or third party must contact those companies directly.
“Unfortunately, Aer Lingus is unable to assist directly in these cases,” Aer Lingus outlines on its website.
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