Aer Lingus has announced plans to cut up to 500 jobs as part of a wide-ranging cost-saving programme aimed at improving its financial performance after posting heavy losses in the first quarter of 2026, with hundreds of positions and several flight routes set to be affected.
The Irish airline said the proposal places about 290 head office positions, 140 cabin crew roles and 70 pilot jobs at risk. Aer Lingus currently employs about 6,000 people.
Alongside the planned workforce reduction, the airline will reduce its flight capacity by six per cent through the removal of routes it described as poorly performing.
Aer Lingus attributed the proposed changes to a combination of factors, including the continued difficult economic environment, growing competition on transatlantic routes, rising fuel costs and a first-quarter 2026 loss of €103 million (£87 million).
The airline said passengers affected by changes to its network will be contacted directly and offered either alternative travel arrangements or refunds.
The restructuring is expected to begin taking effect from late September 2026 and continue into the summer of 2027.
Aer Lingus said the measures are necessary to strengthen its financial position and support future investment in the business.
"The changes are essential to support required improvement in its operating margin, which is needed to underpin future investment.
"The more cost efficient and productive the airline is, the more it will be able to fulfil its network and growth ambition," a spokesperson said in a statement.
"The consultation and engagement process will focus on reducing redundancies and potential future redundancies and on what needs to be done to secure future investment in the business."
The airline said it is targeting an operating margin of between 12 and 15 per cent, saying this level of performance is needed to attract future investment.
Its chief executive, Lynne Embleton, said the restructuring is designed to prepare the airline for long-term growth.
She said the "transformation aims to set Aer Lingus up for the future."
She added that the changes will allow Aer Lingus to "fulfil its ambition to be the airline of choice connecting Europe with North America", as well as providing a "significant economic contribution to Ireland."