Aer Lingus Pilots Stage 8-Hour Work Stoppage in Ireland

Hundreds of striking Aer Lingus pilots marched at Dublin Airport as part of an ongoing dispute with the airline over pay.

Ialpa president Captain Mark Tighe said the strike action demonstrated "that they mean business." I Photo: Aer Lingus

The eight-hour strike began at 5 a.m. local time and ended at 1 p.m., BBC News reported.

Pilots, in full uniform, marched past the airline’s head office before setting up a picket line at the airport entrance. Aer Lingus canceled 120 flights on Saturday, affecting up to 17,000 passengers.

The Irish Airline Pilots' Association (Ialpa) previously called for a 24% pay increase for members, and pilots began a work-to-rule on Wednesday. Ialpa president Captain Mark Tighe said the strike action demonstrated "that they mean business."

He told Irish broadcaster RTE: "Our passengers are extremely important to us and unlike managers we meet them every day. This is not what we want, but we are left in a situation created by management whereby we are just exercising the same rights as everybody else in this country has."