Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus plans to cut jobs and reduce its Airbus A330 fleet in an effort to remain profitable, according to an Irish Independent report.
The report stated that the airline’s CEO Lynne Embleton warned staff in a video message that the carrier’s profitability is hurting compared to other airlines owned by its parent group, International Airlines Group (IAG). An undisclosed source in the report stated that the cuts would be mostly achieved through attrition and a hiring freeze.
Embleton also told staff the carrier would ground one A330 aircraft and scale back the use of its A320 fleet by three aircraft to make room for eight additional Airbus A321XLRs, the report stated. According to AirFleets.net, Aer Lingus currently has 13 active A330s, 35 A320s, and eight A231s.
Embleton said that the XLRs are planned to “unlock much needed opportunities in North America,” while also addressing weaker parts of Aer Lingus’ network following the shift in business travel post-pandemic.
An Aer Lingus pilots strike earlier this summer was expected to cost the airline almost $60 million, BBC reported.
Reaching Full Capacity
Adding to the carrier’s worries, an approaching passenger cap at Dublin Airport also threatens to slow expansion of the country’s dominant airport into an international aviation hub and damage Ireland’s economy, Reuters reported. The number of passengers at the airport was capped at 32 million annually after planners approved a second terminal to be built in 2007.
A news release from the airport on Oct. 3 stated that over 3.08 million passengers traveled through Dublin Airport in September, making it the busiest September ever in the airport’s 84-year history.
“So far this year, a total of 25.8 million passengers have passed through the doors of Dublin Airport – an increase of 5.3% on the same period in 2023,” the release stated. “With every passing month, Dublin Airport’s passenger numbers get closer to the 32 million cap.”
The airport warned that October is expected to be another busy month. However, it stated the outlook for autumn was shrinking due to some airlines deciding to reduce the scale of their operations because of the 32 million cap uncertainty.
“The Irish Aviation Authority’s (IAA) winter slot decision, which will cut the number of seats that airlines flying in and out of Dublin Airport can offer to passengers in the November to March winter period, will also begin to bite,” the release added. “However, it remains daa’s [Dublin Airport’s managing group’s] expectation that the 32 million cap will be exceeded in 2024.”
