Aer Lingus's revised flight schedule is operating as planned despite strike action by over 1,000 cabin crew and the knock-on effects of yesterday's freak weather conditions, the company claimed this afternoon.
Cabin crew workers who are members of the trade union IMPACT, began the first of two planned one-day stoppages at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports at midnight.
They are in dispute with the company over the extent of work-practice changes sought by the airline in exchange for an overdue pay increase of 4 per cent.
The crews have mounted pickets at each airport and intend to stage another stoppage on Monday. However, a recommendation from the Labour Court is awaited and the union has indicated it will reconsider its position when it receives the report.
Aer Lingus today said the first phase of its amended flight schedule has operated successfully.
Chief Operations Officer, Mr Seamus Kearney said: "So far all flights are operating to schedule despite some adverse weather conditions of yesterday and the strike by IMPACT cabin crew."
Full flights have departed for London, Amsterdam, Vienna, Barcelona, Malaga, Milan, Nice, Frankfurt, Manchester, Birmingham, New York, Boston and Chicago, he said.
Incoming flights have arrived from Brussels, Palma, Heathrow, Amsterdam, Madrid, Manchester, Birmingham and Stansted and inbound transatlantic flights from New York, Boston, Chicago and Baltimore have also arrived, he added.
The schedule from Shannon to Heathrow, Boston, Chicago and New York is also operating according to the revised plan.
Flights have departed Cork Airport for Amsterdam and Heathrow, with later departures planned to Paris, Heathrow and Malaga.
"Today is about business as usual for Aer Lingus and its customers." Mr Kearney maintained.
Flights to Los Angeles and Washington, two flights to Frankfurt, two flights to Brussels and one flight each to Dusseldorf, Munich, Jersey, Faro, Bologna and Malaga have been cancelled.
But Mr Kearney said all the airline's customers would be "taken care of in some shape or form".
Aer Lingus has declined to say how much it is spending on planes and crew being hired for the day to maintain services. IMPACT said the company was spending huge amounts of money hiring aircraft that could be better spent on resolving the dispute. It estimated the cost of hiring a plane and crew at ?35,000.
An Aer Lingus spokesman, however, said he did not accept the union's estimate on the cost. It is understood the company has sourced about 20 aircraft for today's operations.