What starting pay does Aer Lingus publish?

In a copy of its careers page archived in February 2026, Aer Lingus says pilots start on a remuneration package of approximately €87,500 if they are Airbus type rated, including average variable flight associated pay of approximately €16,000. For pilots without an Airbus type rating, the package is approximately €63,500, including about €10,000 of variable pay from sector pay and performance pay. Aer Lingus UK recruited direct entry First Officers for A330 long-haul roles at Manchester in 2025, offering a competitive salary and a pension with a 10% employer contribution, without stating an amount.12

What else is in the package?

Aer Lingus lists a contributory pension scheme with a 21% contribution from the airline plus 11% from the pilot, 35 days of annual leave including public holidays, staff travel and free parking at Dublin Airport. Pilots bid for their flying within a 5 on / 3 off roster pattern and typically fly 800 to 900 hours a year. A bond covers the cost of conversion training, and a pilot who leaves immediately after qualifying is liable to repay the entire cost.1

What did the 2024 pay deal give pilots?

In June 2024, the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association (IALPA) was seeking a 24 per cent pay rise for its members at Aer Lingus, which the airline said then had 766 pilots. Pilots served notice of an eight-hour strike on Saturday 29 June 2024, on top of an indefinite work-to-rule, after 22 months of negotiations. On 8 July 2024, the Labour Court recommended a 17.75% increase over four years, backdated to January 2023; Aer Lingus had sought more flexibility and productivity in exchange for anything above the 12.25% agreed with other workers. The recommendation starts with 2 per cent backdated to January 2023 and ends with a final 1 per cent on July 1st, 2026, giving 10.75 per cent by the end of 2024. It also raised overnight allowances by 10 per cent on acceptance and by another 5 per cent from October 1st, 2025. IALPA members voted 85 per cent in favour, with 96 per cent of its 760 members taking part, and the union calculated that pilots would be 19.2 per cent better off by the end of 2026.34567

What has happened since?

In September 2025, about 5,000 non-pilot staff were offered a 4 per cent rise for 2026, intended to match the pay element of the pilots' deal. In July 2026, pilots at Emerald Airlines, which runs the Aer Lingus Regional service, accepted a deal with pay rises of up to 20 per cent for captains. In May 2026, after its first-quarter loss almost doubled to €103 million, Aer Lingus told pilots that a cost review could reduce flying in winter 2026 to 2027. In July 2026, the airline proposed cutting up to 500 jobs, including 70 pilots, and IALPA said it would defend its collective agreements.891011