Aer Lingus is waiting to hear if its US flights will suffer in air travel cuts sparked by the federal government shut-down there.
The news came as it emerged that the carrier could meet UK cabin crew union representatives in a bid to end a pay row that led to strikes at its Manchester Airport base.
Aer Lingus said on Thursday that disruption stemming from the US government shut down had not “to date” hit its transatlantic flights.
[ US to cut airline traffic by 10% due to government shutdown, Trump officials sayOpens in new window ]
US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, wants to cut flights by 10 per cent across 40 of the country’s busiest airports from Friday November 7th as the shut down strains air traffic control.
READ MORE
“We are currently awaiting clarification on whether international airlines and flights will be exempt from this reduction,” said the Irish airline.
“To date, Aer Lingus operations have not experienced any significant delays related to US air traffic issues.”
The company flies to most major US cities from the Republic, including New York and Boston, in what is a key part of its business.
A 10 per cent cut could cancel 1,800 flights daily, air travel data specialist, Cirium, calculates.
US transportation secretary, Sean Duffy, said the administration was prioritising safety.
Meanwhile, around 130 Aer Lingus UK cabin crew are poised to walk out on Sunday after striking for four days last weekend in pursuit of pay rises.
Airline management will meet representatives of crews’ trade union, Unite, at the UK’s Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) shortly, it has emerged.
The sides have been in contact since last weekend’s strike and are waiting for a date from ACAS, which has previously overseen talks between the pair.
Unite plans three further strikes, from Sunday the 9th of November to the 11th, on the 14th and from the 16th to the 18th.
Neither side would comment on whether these actions would proceed in light of the likely restart of talks.
Almost 8,000 passengers face disruption as a result of the industrial action.
Aer Lingus is likely to have rebooked passengers on alternative flights, either on its own services or with other airlines, since Unite told it last week of the planned stoppages.
Cabin crew voted to strike after rejecting management’s offer of a 12 per cent pay increase and a $15 (€12.90) boost to their US overnight allowance, bringing it to $130.
The basic pay of the Manchester-based cabin crew and the overnight allowance would still lag Irish crews’ earnings had they accepted the deal, according to Unite.
Union officials maintain that Aer Lingus crews at Manchester “struggle” to pay rent and take on second jobs to afford essentials.
The airline says it pays market rates.
