Labour Court finds Iona National Airways discriminated against instructor

In 1993, the Labour Court found that Iona National Airways Limited discriminated against a flying instructor when it selected her for redundancy because of her sex. The decision was dated 2 April 1993. The Employment Equality Agency and Irish Airline Pilots' Association argued that less qualified male instructors were retained. The company said the instructor was more expensive, students had refused to fly with her and other instructors were more flexible. The Court rejected the student complaints as unsustainable, noted she had not been reprimanded and found the company had not seriously considered her offer to accept a pay cut. It considered reinstatement unrealistic given the company's trading position. The Court directed the company to pay her a sum equal to what she would have earned from the date of redundancy until no later than October 1992, when a male instructor was made redundant.