AL require the right to work in the EU if you want to go to Ireland, you are 100% correct. AL will
not require this for working in the UK as that will not work for the UK operation. This is already the case for pilots relocating to the UK and has also been shown quite clearly in the adverts of last month for the UK based cabin crew as seen here:
https://www.aviationjobs.me/jobs/fli...aer-lingus-uk/
If this operation is a success then they will expand, and if they expand at some point they will recruit pilots. Is it going to solve the job prospects of unemployed pilots in the short term? of course not. Is it a long term opportunity? absolutely.
What it does do in the short term however is stop even more pilots being made redundant, thereby reducing competition for jobs when they do come back later this tear or next (not withstanding the demagogue tendencies of Matt Hancock)
I don't think I can add anything else to this discussion now as I have been as clear as I can be ...