Aer Lingus is to cut up to 500 jobs due to the collapse in aviation traffic during the Covid-19 crisis.
In a statement, the airline said it has formally notified the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection regarding proposed collective redundancies at the airline.
It said the crisis was having a “catastrophic” effect on the aviation industry, and that the company is currently operating less than 5% of its normal schedule.
In addition, it has no certainty as to when services might be restored, or the future demand for travel once those services resume.
Aer Lingus said the situation was exacerbated in Ireland by the 14-day quarantine requirement for arriving passengers, and travel advisories against all non-essential travel.