Aer Lingus has proposed eliminating up to 500 positions as part of a sweeping cost-reduction plan following €103 million in first-quarter losses. The cuts would affect 290 head office roles, 140 cabin crew positions, and 70 pilot jobs at the airline, which employs roughly 6,000 people.
The carrier cited a challenging macroeconomic environment, intensifying transatlantic competition, and rising supplier, carbon, and fuel costs as drivers of the restructuring. Senior management ranks have already been reduced by about 25 percent, and a further 25 percent cut in head office employee costs is now proposed.
A planned 6 percent reduction in flight capacity will take effect by removing underperforming routes, with network changes running from late September 2026 into summer 2027. Aer Lingus aims to achieve a 12 to 15 percent operating margin to attract future investment.