If Astraeus had not been awarded this contract , someone else would have got it. As has been mentioned before , there were plenty of bidders - many airlines would have just laid off summer-only guys and still have a surplus .
The contract is for six months - then Aer Lingus will have its own UK AOC. Who will fly the aircraft out of LGW then , if Dublin guys are laid off and the Astraeus contract finishes ? Half of them will be EI pilots already but the other half .....?