Some 200 flights affecting 20,000 passengers have been cancelled by Aer Lingus because of today's 24-hour stoppage over pay.
Other airlines' flights mat be affected by the fact htat many airport wortkes are not expected to pass pickets by IMPACT cabin crew at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports.
SIPTU, which represents about a third of cabin crew and about 3,000 general operatives has instructed its members to report to work normally today. There was opposition to this by shop stewards representing baggage handlers, caterers, cleaners and other Aer Lingus staff yesterday.
SIPTU members in Servisair are to consider their attitude his morning. Servisair provides ground handling for Delta, Continental, Air 2000, City Flyer, CityJet and Czech airlines. Action by them could delay some of these flights. About half of flights out of Dublin, Cork and Shannon will be grounded today as a result of the Aer Lingus dispute and about 20,000 of the 55,000 passengers. Other airlines are operating to full capacity but are not putting on extra aircraft.
Aer Lingus director of corporate affairs Mr Dan Loughrey condemned the strike as "regrettable and unnecessary". He said the company was prepared to talk about pay but IMPACT was dragging "other issues" into the dispute. However the union's general secretary Mr Shay Cody said the dispute was "only about pay, pensions and conditions". He called on the company to refer the dispute to the Labour Relations Commission immediately if it anted to discuss pay."
Mr Loughrey was referring to the continuing tension between IMPACT and SIPTU at both national and local level over representation of Aer Lingus cabin crew. The matter is likely to surface at tomorrow's meeting of the ICTU executive.
Meanwhile Fine Gael is to seek an emergency Dail debate on the Aer Lingus dispute. The party's public enterprise spokesman, Mr Jim Higgins, will seek to have scheduled Dail business adjourned today to allow the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, to make a comprehensive statement to the Dail. He said last night the present chaos could not be allowed to continue indefinitely. "Apart from the disruption and difficulties for the thousands of commuters who will be left stranded because of the situation there is a huge commercial loss to the company and the economy."
A spokesman for Ms O'Rourke said she was being kept briefed on the situation.
SIPTU clerical staff have served notice for strike action from next Tuesday in pursuit of their pay claim. They are on slightly lower pay rates than cabin crew, earning between £9,000 and £17,000 a year.
If their action goes ahead Aer Lingus accounts, check-in, boarding and reservations services would be among those affected. Action by caterers and baggage handlers is continuing, although there were signs yesterday that talks might begin on the baggage handlers claim.
In a separate development IMPACT is to ballot Ryanair pilots from Thursday on strike action over a new pay deal at Ryanair.