Aer Lingus axe MCO

Read the forum code of contact

Member for

19 years 5 months

Posts: 1,887

http://www.rte.ie/business/2005/0511/aerlingus.html

Aer Lingus said today it is to axe its service to Orlando from 14 January 2006, and has blamed the union representing cabin crews following the failure to agree to necessary work practice changes, though IMPACT denies this is true.

Aer Lingus management had been in discussions with Impact on the cabin crew aspects of the airline's Business Plan since September 2004.

The airline says the union IMPACT would not agree to commercially viable work practices and say this will also affect further expansion into other long haul routes.

Speaking on RTE radio this evening John Sharman, Chairman of Aer Lingus said he was dissappointed with the rate of change in respect of the business plan and the necessary work practice changes had not been achieved.

He said earlier in a statement that ' the airline will, of course, immediately review the action reluctantly taken in respect of Orlando in the event of a mutually acceptable long haul flying agreement being reached with Impact'.

Christina Carney of IMPACT, also speaking on RTE this evening, said the decision to cancel the unprofitable service had nothing to do with the cabin crew's refusal to change and that the decision to fly to Orlando was taken long before the business plan was developed.

Passengers who have bookings on Wednesday flights during September and October will be accommodated by Aer Lingus on its Tuesday or Thursday flights, and passengers booked on flights to Orlando after January 16th will be accommodated with other airlines. AerLingus said it will contact all passengers regarding the changes.

The Orlando route was launched in December 2004 on the basis of implementation of the Business Plan. It was envisaged that it would be the first of a number of such routes, which the airline would introduce.

The airline said in a statement it will use the aircraft to increase services on New York and Boston. This will maintain the same capacity between the US and Ireland but on a more profitable basis for the airline.

Original post

Member for

20 years 2 months

Posts: 2,495

The initial plan was to axe this route on the 8th of May. It has proved very succesful and due to a staff dispute they have been forced to leave it.