Aer Lingus pilots should think of the “poor, unfortunate passengers” before launching strike action, Jonathan Healy has said. 

The Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) is calling for a pay rise of almost 24% on the grounds that pilots have not had a pay increase since 2019.

The demand has been labelled as “outrageous” by Aer Lingus. 

Strike action was backed in an electronic ballot by 97.7% of pilots and the result of a second paper ballot is due out today. 

Newstalk Breakfast presenter Jonathan Healy said holidaymakers are facing a “desperate” situation – and urged the pilots to treat the situation with a “dose of reality”.

“We have to assume that the result isn’t going to be much different… that the result isn’t going to be much different in the paper [following an electronic one],” he said. 

“So, there’ll be an overwhelming vote in favour of strike action and they’re legally obliged to give seven days’ notice before strike action happens.

“It means that people’s holiday plans are up in the air.

“I was observing this last week from my own sunlounger in Spain - having flown there with Ryanair - and I was sitting there thinking, ‘Imagine how much stress people would be under not knowing about this.’ 

“I was talking to people over the weekend whose holidays were up in the air - who is thinking about the poor, unfortunate passengers in all of this?” 

An Aer Lingus airbus A320 landing at Dublin Airport.

Fellow presenter Ciara Kelly said she respects the right to take strike action but she feels pilots are already paid enough.

“It struck me that pilots, who are paid, by the way, like they work for Google, are acting like they’re Jim Larkin,” she said. 

“These incredibly well-paid people [are] acting like they are literally in the Lockout.

“The top level of pay for a pilot in Aer Lingus is around €300,000 or €350,000. The Labour Court awarded them 9%, they want 24% and that’s what they’re holding out for – it’s extraordinary.

“For some of those people, it would be a 50 grand pay rise - that’s more than the average industrial wage by way of a pay rise. 

“And it is ordinary people going on holidays that will be affected and particularly at this time of the year because if it lands in two weeks’ time that’s July.

“It’s peak holiday time for people.” 

If strike action is endorsed by the pilots, Aer Lingus have asked for two weeks’ notice.

Main image: Jonathan Healy in the Newstalk studio. Image: Newstalk