AER LINGUS pilots have overwhelmingly passed a motion of no confidence in the airline’s Chief Executive, Lynne Embleton, and Chief Operations Officer, Adrian Dunne.
This comes after the pilots expressed concerns over interference in flight operations and pilot safety decisions.
The Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (IALPA) convened an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in north County Dublin on Monday, where more than 300 pilots attended.
The motion, passed unanimously, cited “interference from senior non-flying management in the operation of aircraft while in flight” and reaffirmed pilots’ commitment to aviation safety standards.
The dispute centres on the recent suspension of a captain based in Manchester following a transatlantic flight from Barbados to Manchester.
The aircraft carried only crew members, including off-duty “positioning” cabin crew, rather than passengers.
During the flight, the captain allegedly directed the positioning crew to remain seated in economy class, a decision the union says was based on aircraft balance and therefore a safety matter.
Mid-flight, senior management in Dublin allegedly contacted the aircraft and instructed the captain to move the off-duty crew to business class.
The captain declined to comply, later filing a safety report after landing.
Shortly afterward, Aer Lingus suspended the pilot, prompting what IALPA has described as an “unprecedented” reaction among its members.
Under EU aviation safety rules, the flight commander has sole responsibility for the safety of the aircraft and all persons on board.
IALPA contends that management’s mid-flight instruction breached that principle.
“The motion was brought solely because of executive management’s interference in an operational flight and the CEO’s indifference to that issue, among other ongoing safety concerns,” said IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe.
He added that the union is exploring legal options to protect its members and maintain safety standards.
Aer Lingus, however, has dismissed the motion as having “no effect”, calling it “entirely inappropriate”.
The airline said two separate internal processes are underway and must remain confidential.
IALPA maintains that the no-confidence vote is unrelated to the suspended pilot’s individual case but instead reflects broader concerns over the airline’s operational governance.
The row comes amid wider industrial action at Aer Lingus’s Manchester base, where cabin crew held a strike from October 30 to November 2 over pay.
The positioning crew involved in last week’s flight was not part of that action.
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