AER LINGUS is planning to resume a full flight schedule on Monday following the resolution to the dispute over cabin crew rosters.
In the meantime, however, more than 30 flights will be cancelled over the weekend.
The company and the trade union Impact, which represents cabin crew, yesterday reached an agreement to bring the dispute to an end following lengthy talks at the Labour Relations Commission.
Aer Lingus said it would be directing all efforts to restore a full flight schedule but that this could take a number of days. It said it would contact passengers directly through e-mail and text in the event of changes to flight times.
The airline said yesterday that 14 flights would be cancelled today and a further 20 tomorrow. The flights affected are all on UK and European routes and are mainly from Dublin.
The cancelled services include flights from Dublin to Manchester, Berlin, Paris, Malaga and Amsterdam. A service from Cork to Paris and from Shannon to Heathrow have also been cancelled.
Flights which have been cancelled tomorrow by Aer Lingus are services from Dublin to London Heathrow, Manchester, Milan, Lyon, Amsterdam, Brussels and Dusseldorf.
Services from Cork to Malaga and from Shannon to Paris and London Heathrow will also be affected.
Several thousand passengers have been hit by disruptions since the dispute between management and cabin crew at Aer Lingus began nearly three weeks ago.
More than 300 members of cabin crew had been removed from the payroll by Aer Lingus management for refusing to operate controversial new rosters. A number of other staff faced disciplinary meetings which could have resulted in dismissal from the company.
Impact said yesterday that under the deal, which was reached following overnight talks at the Labour Relations Commission, virtually all the issues of disagreement with the company had been resolved but that final arbitration was required to complete the process. This binding arbitration is expected to be completed within the next few days.
Aer Lingus director of human resources Michael Greally said that, while Impact had agreed that its cabin crew members would work the 850 flying hours set out in its overall cost-saving plan for the airline, the company had approved a number of quality-of- life issues surrounding meal breaks, rest periods and time off.
As part of the deal Aer Lingus and Impact also signed up to “industrial peace” for the duration of the overall cost-saving accord which is known as Greenfield.
The union said that as part of the deal the company had agreed to restore cabin crew to normal duties and payroll pending the outcome of the binding Labour Relations Commission arbitration.
It said that it had also agreed to suspend its industrial action pending the outcome of the arbitration.