DUBLIN / MANCHESTER, Oct 17 — Aer Lingus faces a four-day strike by its UK-based cabin crew later this month after members of the Unite union voted for industrial action in a dispute over pay and allowances.
The walkout is scheduled from October 30 to November 2, affecting Aer Lingus’s transatlantic services from Manchester Airport, including flights to the United States and the Caribbean. Impacted flights include those from Manchester to New York, Orlando and Barbados. The airline has warned of potential disruptions and cancellations, advising passengers to check the latest travel updates page for revised schedules.
The strike could affect around 18 flights over the four-day period, with an estimated 4,000 passengers facing changes to their travel plans, according to Irish media reports.
Passengers whose flights are cancelled are entitled to rerouting or refunds under EU Regulation 261/2004, and the airline has pledged to notify affected customers directly.
Pay dispute and union stance
Unite, which represents around 130 Manchester-based cabin crew, said its members had been left with “no choice” but to strike after months of negotiations failed to produce a fair pay deal.
“Unite will not stand idly by and let Aer Lingus put profits before people. Our members will have Unite’s full support throughout this dispute,” said Sharon Graham, Unite’s general secretary.
The union also claims the airline’s UK-based staff earn less than counterparts in Ireland and receive lower overnight allowances despite performing equivalent work.
Airline response
Aer Lingus said it had negotiated “in good faith” with the Unite trade union having regard to bench-marked market pay in the UK. According to media reports, the airline offered the staff a 12 per cent pay increase that included a 9 per cent increase in 2025 and a further 3 per cent in 2026, along with improved allowances.
The carrier expressed its disappointment the outcome of the ballot and said that is working on contingency measures to minimize disruption for passengers.
The dispute comes amid a series of labor tensions across Europe’s aviation sector as cabin crew, pilots, and ground staff push for higher wages in response to persistent inflation. The unions representing the Aer Lingus’s Ireland based ground and cabin crews rejected pay-rise offers over the last week. Earlier in 2024, it faced significant disruption due to a pilot’s strike.
Aer Lingus, which operates as part of the International Airlines Group (IAG) has seen a sharp increase in its profits in the first half of 2025.
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