Aer Lingus has refused to disclose how much it has spent on hiring in planes and crews to operate its schedule during the ongoing cabin crew dispute.
The cabin crew union IMPACT has claimed the cost could exceed โฌ400,000 a day – and could be even more if they were hired to operate transatlantic flights.
A spokesperson for the airline would only say that the cost of lost bookings from cancelled flights would far outweigh the cost of hiring in planes.
As the increasingly bitter dispute enters its second week, attention is turning to the cost.
Over 175 of the airline’s 1,050 cabin crew in the Republic have now been removed from the payroll for refusing to operate new rosters introduced last Monday without union agreement.
Aer Lingus says it is continuing to operate a full schedule.
Last week, Aer Lingus confirmed it had hired in nine planes, including four from Ryanair.
Today they would not say how many planes have now been hired in, nor would they comment on the cost.
Disciplinary processes which could result in staff being sacked will get under way from tomorrow.