This just announced:
"Jobs to go as Aer Lingus slashes capacity"
Aer Lingus Scraps two US services
Following a meeting between Aer Lingus management and unions this afternoon, the airline has announced that it intends to cut its operations by 25%.
Over 600 temporary staff will be let go, while the SIPTU union said it was clear the airline's plans would also affect permanent jobs.
After the meeting, called to discuss the impact of last week's events in the US on the airline's business, SIPTU called on the Government to take the ownership issue off the agenda for at least the next three to five years.
Seven aircraft will be taken out of the fleet - two transatlantic jumbos and five short-haul planes. The transatlantic services to Newark and Washington will be discontinued from October.
SIPTU national industrial secretary Noel Dowling the union was 'shocked' by the information it received. He said it had been advised that a major cash crisis would hit the company by early next year.
Airline shares have plummeted since the attacks in New York and Washington, because of fears that falling passenger numbers, the shutdown in air travel in the past few days and the higher costs of new security measures will drain billions from the industry this year.