WRC upholds dismissal of Aer Lingus attendant after passenger toilet dispute

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Workplace Relations Commission upheld Aer Lingus’s dismissal of senior flight attendant Alan O'Neill and rejected his complaint under the Unfair Dismissals Act 1977. Adjudication officer Michael MacNamee found the process fair and reasonable, saying dismissal was a reasonable and proportionate response. The complaint concerned an incident on 9 April 2024 in which O'Neill was accused of refusing a passenger use of the bathroom during a delayed flight from Marseilles to Dublin. His legal team disputed how long the passenger waited and said he was following standard procedures while the fasten-seatbelt light was on. The proceedings were reported on 19 June 2026.