Grounded: Irish aviation hits hard times as Covid travel uncertainty persists

With pilots out of work, Aer Lingus ‘burning cash’ and Ryanair establishing new bases outside Ireland, Irish airlines are desperately seeking a detailed timeline to a full reopening

The collapse in travel due to coronavirus has left Dublin Airport eerily quiet. Picture: Peter Rowen

Sunday March 22 last year is not a day that Sarah-Louise Gibbons is likely to forget any time soon. That morning she settled into the cockpit of an Avro J85 – her favourite aircraft – as she prepared to fly from Dublin to London City airport for CityJet.

Since qualifying as a pilot in 2008, the 38-year-old had spent her blossoming career with the airline and considered herself lucky to be based out of Ireland. ...