Impact on Irish Pilots

1) Professional and Economic Impact
From March 2020 onwards, the grounding of commercial flights and imposition of travel bans
resulted in mass stand-downs, furloughs, and redundancies within the pilot community. Many Irish
pilots experienced:

– Prolonged periods without flight time, jeopardizing professional certification and license validity.
– Salary reductions ranging from 50–90%, with some pilots experiencing total loss of income.
– Limited access to retraining or alternative employment opportunities due to regulatory restrictions
and the highly specialized nature of their skills.

2) Mental Health and Wellbeing
Pilots, who are subject to stringent medical standards, faced unprecedented mental health
challenges arising from:

– Severe job insecurity and financial pressures.
– Loss of professional identity and purpose.
– Uncertainty over regulatory requirements for license maintenance (e.g., recency, simulator checks).

Despite these challenges, there was a conspicuous absence of targeted mental health support for
aviation professionals during the pandemic.

3) Lack of Representation in Policy Decisions
Key decisions regarding travel restrictions, quarantine requirements, and reopening roadmaps were
made without meaningful consultation with airline operators or pilot representatives, resulting in:

– Inconsistent and, at times, illogical policy applications (e.g., unequal treatment of essential
transport workers).
– Delayed adoption of safe operational protocols that could have facilitated the earlier reopening of
air routes.

Sectoral Gaps and Lessons Learned

– Ireland’s over-reliance on blanket travel bans overlooked available mitigation measures such as
pre-flight testing, vaccine certification, and recognition of advanced in-flight ventilation systems—
tools that other EU countries adopted more rapidly.
– Financial supports for pilots were insufficient compared to other sectors, despite aviation’s critical-
role in national connectivity, trade, and tourism.
– The lack of a national aviation crisis response framework led to operational disarray and long-term
reputational damage to Ireland’s aviation sector.

Recommendations
1) Establish a National Aviation Resilience Plan incorporating pandemic preparedness with clear,
evidence-based protocols for safe flight operations during public health emergencies.
2) Create a dedicated Aviation Liaison Committee to ensure pilot representatives and industry
stakeholders are included in future emergency response planning.
3) Introduce sector-specific financial protections for aviation professionals, safeguarding license
maintenance and retraining opportunities during prolonged industry shutdowns.
4) Implement targeted mental health supports that recognize and address the unique stressors faced
by pilots.
5) Conduct a full review of travel policy decision-making processes to improve transparency,
accountability, and responsiveness to sector-specific realities.

Conclusion
Irish pilots remained on the frontline of global connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic, facilitating
the movement of essential goods, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid. Their experiences,
sacrifices, and insights must be fully recognized by this Inquiry to ensure that future policy responses
are balanced, evidence-based, and equitable.

We respectfully submit this evidence in the interests of fairness, public accountability, and the future
security of Ireland’s aviation sector.

Signed,
David Morrissey
Director,
Safety & Technical, IALPA.