Union anger as Airline plans to close Manchester Airport base

Unite has today (24 November) responded with anger to proposals by Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus to close its Manchester Airport base.

The airline has issued a redundancy notice, which has put over 200 workers at risk, including 150 cabin crew who are represented by Unite. Aer Lingus claims this is due to the base “underperforming’” but has failed to provide any information to support its claim.

Last year, Aer Lingus recorded an operating profit of €205m and has projected profits of around £35 million from just two aircraft operating three long-haul routes at Manchester Airport.

Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said: “It is outrageous that such a profitable airline such as Aer Lingus is proposing to close its base, putting hundreds of jobs at risk.

“The closure of the base would have a significant impact on workers, their families, and the local community, as well as passengers with upcoming flights from the airport. Aer Lingus has serious questions to answer about its decision-making and must provide its rationale to Unite immediately.”

Cabin crew at Aer Lingus, who work on the three routes to Barbados, New York JFK, and Orlando operating out of Manchester Airport Terminal 2, have been involved in a pay dispute with their employer since last month and have walked out in several days of strike action.

While Unite members have voted for further strike action, the union has offered to halt this in order to properly negotiate with Aer Lingus on the future of the Manchester base.

Unite Regional Officer John O’Neill said: “Our members working for Aer Lingus at Manchester Airport are understandably distressed and anxious about their futures.

“During the dispute, which they have had a legal right and mandate to undertake, they have acted professionally and deserve answers from their employer as to why this base could be closing.

“Unite’s focus is now on saving jobs. The union is prepared to pause further industrial action to create space for consultation with Aer Lingus. We are calling on Aer Lingus to do the right thing and work with us in good faith.”

Unite has formally requested all the required information under Section 188 of the Employment Rights Act, along with the additional evidence needed for meaningful consultation – this includes the full business rationale, Manchester-specific financials, modeling behind the claim that aircraft could earn more elsewhere, timelines, and role breakdowns.

The company’s written response has not supplied this information and has stated that some of it is “unlikely to be necessary”. At present, Unite does not believe that at this stage it has sufficient information to understand what Aer Lingus is proposing or what the underlying issues are.

Unless it is given this information, meaningful consultation cannot take place.