Aer Lingus names former union president Evan Cullen as director of flight operations

DCM Editorial Summary: This story has been independently rewritten and summarised for DCM readers to highlight key developments relevant to the region. Original reporting by Irish Times, click this post to read the original article.

Aer Lingus has appointed former pilots’ union chief Capt Evan Cullen as its new director of flight operations, the Irish airline confirmed on Monday.

Cullen is a well-known figure in aviation, primarily from his long service as president of the Irish Air Line Pilots’ Association (Ialpa).

Aer Lingus told staff at the weekend that it had appointed him as its new director of flight operations, a senior management role at the carrier. The appointment came into effect from February 2nd.

Cullen will “take up this role at an exciting time for Aer Lingus and flight operations”, said Adrian Dunne, chief operations officer, in the airline’s internal newsletter.

Dunne noted that flight operations had many ongoing projects as the airline worked to modernise and improve how it works.

As director of flight operations, Cullen will be part of the group that manages pilots.

Cullen joined Aer Lingus in 1989 though a pilot cadet programme. He flew Fokker 50s, Boeing 737s, Airbus A320s and Airbus A321s. He is currently a captain on Airbus A330s, which Aer Lingus primarily uses for transatlantic services.

He served as president of Ialpa, a branch of trade union Fórsa, from 2003 to 2023 when he earned a reputation as an effective leader.

He led the union through the pandemic, when lockdowns inflicted widespread hardship on air-travel industry workers.

Cullen criticised the Government’s National Public Health Emergency Team’s opposition to antigen testing, among other strict travel curbs.

Previously, his efforts to unionise Ryanair led to clashes with its chief executive Michael O’Leary.

The airline recognised unions in 2017.

Capt John Kelly, Aer Lingus’s previous director of flight operations, will be chief pilot with continued regulatory responsibilities, the airline said.

“This follows a revision to the structure of flight operations management, separating the director of flight operations and chief pilot roles,” a statement added.