Union: Aer Lingus to cut up to 1,500 jobs

— Aer Lingus Group PLC is planning up to 1,500 job cuts, Ireland's SIPTU trade union said Tuesday.

At a meeting on Monday, the airline told the union that the board had approved a 74 million euro ($101 million) cost-savings plan, said SIPTU spokeswoman Teresa Hannick.

Under the plan, which is scheduled to go ahead on Dec. 1 following a consultation process, the airline would cut 1,500 ground staff and cabin crew at Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports, and outsource those jobs, said Hannick. The job cuts would be made through voluntary redundancy, early retirement and the option for workers to move to the third party companies that the airline would use for outsourcing.

Aer Lingus was not immediately available for comment.