National court archive · 2026-03-31
Pilot threatened hunger strike if Aer Lingus failed to meet demands
At a glance
- Crime
- Not stated
- People
- Tom O’Riordan, Carmel Byrne, Mary Montgomery, David Byrnes BL, Tom Mallon BL
- Locations
- Shamrock House, London, Dublin Airport
- Court
- Workplace Relations Commission (WRC)
- Outcome
- The matter has been adjourned overnight
Summary
The Workplace Relations Commission heard that Aer Lingus pilot Tom O’Riordan said he would go on hunger strike unless the airline disclosed fume-related issues to staff and met demands that included payments exceeding €3 million. Human resources legal case manager Carmel Byrne said gardaí were called during the February 2024 stand-off. Aer Lingus denies his allegations and says no passengers or crew were exposed to any safety risk. The evidence forms part of the airline's defence of O’Riordan's whistleblower penalisation complaint.
Original reporting: courtsnewsireland.ie