ITAA calls for 3rd party intervention in Aer Lingus dispute

The Irish Travel Agents Association this evening called on Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey, to ensure a mediator from the State’s industrial relations apparatus immediately intervenes in the rapidly escalating dispute at Aer Lingus.

ITAA Chief Executive, Simon Nugent, said “It is astonishing that a low level dispute about rosters could erupt in such a manner forcing the sudden cancellation of a string of vital flight services.  It is even more bizarre that the airline would not have contingency plans so as to keep important scheduled routes such as those from  Dublin to Frankfurt, Amsterdam and the US operating smoothly.

“At a time when our national reputation is at an all time low, business people are working harder than ever to keep our credibility as a productive and reliable economy intact.  They need to be able to travel so as to secure and retain contracts and to show that the county is open and efficient.   It is simply not acceptable that scheduled air services can be disrupted like this with little or no notice.

“Somebody has got to knock heads together and re-stabilise the situation in Aer Lingus – a company where both workers and management has made great progress during 2010 to find efficiencies and to restore the company to viability.

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