The issue here is not about BA or EasyJet... Nobody has a problem with a competitive company entering a market place and competing and winning routes etc like EasyJet have done..
The issue is that AerLingus already have an operation in place in Gatwick, they have enough pilots and aeroplanes based there... Astraeus are being used to undercut pay and conditions which are already in place at AerLingus. Have you looked at the contracts for positions with Astraeus at Gatwick? Its all part of this race to the bottom that we have all been dragged into. Aerlingus do not need more pilots to be able to operate the LGW routes, the only reason Astraeus have been contracted in, is to operate routes and aid Aerlingus set up a UK AOC to have a stick to beat ROI pilots with on there terms and conditions.
Why wouldnt astraeus management take the easy cash that comes with such a deal... Unfortunately so many pilots are out of work at the moment in the EU market, so why wouldnt these pilots take the jobs at Astraeus... AerLingus management have spotted the weakness and used Astreus to capitalise on the situation.
The bottom line is
Every Pilot Astraeus hire to fly green aeroplanes from London Gatwick is directly taking the job of pilot in Aerlingus who is already flying these green machines... so when there is redundancy announcements at Aerlingus just rememeber that Astraeus pilots are taking the EI pilots jobs and doing the same work for a lower rate, Airline management are succeeding in pitching pilots against eachother ,its a slippery slope and its gonna turn what was a career into whats quickly turning into a job.