The future for some of the 1,500 staff at aircraft maintenance firm SR Technics appears uncertain today after the firm lost three out of four contracts with Aer Lingus.
Although it held on to the crucial line maintenance contract for the Aer Lingus fleet, which is the largest contract, the implications of losing the others is unclear.
The Irish Times reported last month that an internal SR Technics memo has warned that the company Zurich-based could close its Irish operation if it lost the Aer Lingus contract for line maintenance.
Aer Lingus last year sought tenders for the four contracts worth some €65 million annually.
Aer Lingus said today that it was "final contract negotiations" with French group Sabena Technics/TAT for the base maintenance contract; with Lufthansa Technik and Honeywell International for the components maintenance and with Goodrich Corporation for wheels and brakes maintenance
"We engaged in a rigorous process on each aspect of our maintenance requirements and we are pleased to confirm that the process has yielded significant and necessary cost savings for Aer Lingus," chief executive officer Dermot Mannion said today.
Labour Party transport spokesperson Tommy Broughan said "every step must be taken to ensure that if these job losses do indeed take place, that there are adequate resources dedicated to providing retraining for these workers.
"The economic priority must be to recover our lost competitiveness and enter a more export-driven phase of growth, which will deliver well paid jobs to more people."