Aer Lingus faces a clash with trade unions over plans announced on Thursday to cut up to 500 jobs.
Higher fuel bills and increased competition on North American routes have been eroding the Irish carrier’s profits, prompting it to scrutinise costs in recent weeks.
The airline told staff on Thursday that it wants to cut up to 500 jobs, 70 pilots, 140 cabin crew and 290 head office posts, from a total workforce of 6,500, to boost its waning profits.
Unions responded with a warning that they would oppose any attempt to impose compulsory redundancies in talks on the plan with the company.
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Trade union Fórsa, which represents cabin crew and office staff, argued that job losses “must always be a last resort”.
“Today’s news will be very difficult for Aer Lingus workers and their families, many of whom will be worried about what this means for their livelihoods,” said national secretary Hazel Nolan.
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The Irish Airline Pilots’ Association (Ialpa) argued that management was proposing cuts in one of Europe’s strongest carriers, backed by an owner, International Airlines Group (IAG), which earned €5 billion profit last year.
“This proposal raises fundamental questions about the strategic direction being taken by Aer Lingus,” said the union’s president, Capt Daniel Langan.
He pledged that the pilots’ organisation would “vigorously defend” its members and its collective agreements with the company, which he argued underpinned its success.
Langan pointed out that Aer Lingus itself earned €282 million profit in 2025 and was among the best performing airlines in Europe, where some carriers will lose money this year.
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Siptu aviation organiser, Terry Gill, said the announcement caused “massive concern” among its members.
The union represents ground crew, which are not affected by the job cuts announced on Thursday.
However, Gill said it would seek an urgent meeting with management.
Aer Lingus said talks with unions would focus on cutting redundancies and potential future job losses, and on securing future investment for the airline.
The airline plans to cut its business by 6 per cent overall. It will axe flights from Dublin to Denver, Minneapolis and Las Vegas in the US and Split in Croatia this autumn.
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The company needs to restore margins earned from its operations to between 12 and 15 per cent to meet targets set by IAG.
Those margins are currently around 10 per cent. Aer Lingus must meet IAG’s targets in order to secure investment in the future.
Chief executive, Lynne Embleton stressed that the move would “support future growth and continue to provide connectivity and significant economic contribution to Ireland”.
The proposed changes aim to “set Aer Lingus up for the future” by ensuring that it can weather the turbulence in its industry, she said.
