Aer Lingus staff came from Slovakia and Estonia

ONE OF the two Dublin-based Aer Lingus employees from eastern Europe, who were passengers on the Air France aircraft that disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, has been named.

Arnold Gergel, a 33-year-old Slovakian, was on board the Rio-Paris flight, according to Slovakian ambassador to Ireland Roman Buzek. Mr Gergel and his 25-year-old Estonian colleague worked as baggage handlers at Dublin airport. Mr Buzek said Mr Gergel was from a small village of some 340 people in southern Slovakia called Ipelske Ulany.

He said he understood Mr Gergel had been working in Dublin for about five years. “We would like to express our sympathies about this young person.”

Mr Buzek said relatives of Mr Gergel had confirmed that he did not have family in Ireland. He expected Mr Gergel’s brother would travel from Slovakia to Ireland in the near future.

Meanwhile, the Estonian man’s family has requested that his name not be released to the media, according to a spokeswoman for the Estonian ministry of foreign affairs.

“The foreign ministry has contacted the mother and other relatives of the man in question and is keeping them updated on any possible new developments,” she said.

“As per an agreement with the family, the foreign ministry is not able to release the name of the man registered for the flight.”

She said the man was born in 1983 and “was temporarily working abroad”.

The ministry was prepared to arrange psychological assistance for his relatives, she added.

A spokesman for the Estonian embassy in Dublin said: “We are very sorry about that tragic accident – of course our thoughts are with the families of all people on board the aircraft.” On Tuesday Aer Lingus confirmed that two of its employees were on board the ill-fated flight, as passengers.