Aer Lingus reduces flights from Dublin to Heathrow
Will Picture: Between Be Winter The Period The Reduced The Flights Airports Colin Keegan/collins For Uping
Aer Lingus has announced that it is reducing its flights between Dublin and London Heathrow by two departures a day from this winter period, the airline has announced.
Last month, Aer Lingus pilots voted to accept a new pay deal, marking the end of the long-running dispute with the airline. However, the pilots strike led the company to cancel numerous flights which hurt the company financially.
In a statement, the airline said that it is “continuing to assess the implications of the financial damage caused by the pilot industrial dispute” in the context of passenger cap at Dublin Airport and the current competitive environment.
While the airline might be cutting the Dublin to Heathrow routes, it's parent company IAG has decided to allocate new A321 XLRs to Aer Lingus. The first two aircraft are expected to join the fleet later this year.
It was reported in May that due to the pilots strike at the time that IAG could only allocate one of the new planes to the airline. At the time, IAG said it was going to be allocated elsewhere within the group.
Aer Lingus put the estimated cost of the industrial action at €55m. In its most recent trading update, the airline reported an operating profit of €92m in the second quarter.