Committee Reports > List of Committees > Joint > 1980 > Committee on Commercial State-Sponsored Bodies > Report No. 14 - Aer Lingus, Teoranta and Aerlínte Éireann, Teoranta

APPENDIX 7

LETTER TO VICE-CHAIRMAN OF JOINT COMMITTEE FROM AER LINGUS

Dear Senator Cooney:

At the hearing of the Oireachtas Sub Committee last Wednesday you asked me about the increased staff numbers in Aer Lingus between March 1978 and March 1980. I did not have all the figures immediately available but have checked them out on my return to the office.

Staff numbers at March 31 1978 were 5,970 and the equivalent number on March 31 1980 was 6,803, an increase of 833. However, at the end of March 1978 we were under our normal complement because of the clerical strike which had started earlier that month and had interrupted our recruitment programme for the summer period. This accounted for about 150 staff. Over the two-year period in question there was an increase of 235 in ancillary activities undertaken in-house in the airline, nearly all in maintenance contract work due to substantial growth both in revenues and in profits from that area.

The balance left is 448 which was an increase of approximately 10% of staff working on air transportation, i.e. employed by Aer Lingus and Aerlinte but not engaged in ancillary activities. This 10% growth in staff numbers arose because of an increase in our fleet and an increase in passengers carried over the period in question of 25%.

I trust the above clarifies the situation. If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to ask me.

Yours sincerely,

David M. Kennedy,

Chief Executive.

22nd September, 1980.