Aer Lingus pilots, who are members of the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA), are to hold a vote of no confidence in a senior executive at the company.
An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) of IALPA members will be held this evening.
According to the union, the purpose of the meeting is to discuss safety concerns of Aer Lingus pilots and the “interference from senior non-flying management, the head of crew operations and cabin crew operational managers in the operation of aircraft while in flight.”
Members will be asked to pass a motion of no confidence in Aer Lingus Chief Operations Officer Adrian Dunne.
It is understood the motion may be extended to include the airline CEO Lynne Embleton, unless she meets with IALPA to discuss their concerns.
“The Aer Lingus pilot members of IALPA in their professional capacity as frontline guardians of aviation safety for all and in their promotion of ‘safety first’ at all times, have no confidence in Chief Operations Officer Adrian Dunne,” the motion states.
It is understood the row relates to the suspension of an Aer Lingus captain last week.
The airline said in a statement that the decision of the IALPA Executive to propose such a motion to its membership is “inappropriate”.
“There are two separate ongoing processes underway, a safety investigation following receipt of a safety report and a fact finding process following concerns raised by an employee,” an Aer Lingus spokesperson said.
“Both of these processes are being run in accordance with the procedures applicable to them and it is important that the confidentiality and integrity of the processes are not subject to any outside interference,” the airline said.