Tom O’Riordan, a dismissed Aer Lingus captain, is claiming whistleblower penalisation and breaches of employment rights after alleging that he sustained brain damage due to exposure to “toxic fumes” on a flight three years ago.
Aer Lingus denies the allegations, stating there were no safety risks for passengers or crew and that O’Riordan’s claims defamed the airline and its management, leading to disciplinary actions and his dismissal.
O’Riordan is leveraging several Acts, including the Protected Disclosures Act and the Unfair Dismissals Act, claiming that reductions in his sick pay and eventual withdrawal were retaliatory measures following his disclosures about safety concerns.
The case is set for a series of hearings after Christmas, with media restrictions on reporting witness names, and the airline maintains that all reports made by O’Riordan were appropriately addressed.
