Aer Lingus pilots have notified the airline of their intention to commence an “indefinite” work-to-rule starting next week.

The notice served on Tuesday afternoon, states that the pilots’ work-to-rule status will begin at midnight on June 26th and continue indefinitely.

Clare Dunne, the chief executive of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA), expressed that people with summer holiday bookings are "really, really worried."

“They can’t look forward to their holidays now because they don’t know if they’ll be able to go or not,” Dunne told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“They’re facing potential long delays, cancellations, and financial penalties, especially if they’ve booked their flights and accommodations separately. If their flight is cancelled, they might not be able to reach their destination. It’s not a great outlook for the summer,” she said.

Dunne noted that while a work-to-rule is less severe than a full strike, disruptions are inevitable, and not everyone will be able to travel as planned.

The ITAA has already observed a decline in Aer Lingus bookings, with travelers opting for other airlines for the next four to five weeks. Her advice to those who have already booked with Aer Lingus is to “sit tight and see how it pans out.”

“There’s not much point in cancelling and losing money on the possibility of disruption because we don’t know yet,” she added.

Aer Lingus pilots overwhelmingly voted for industrial action in a pay dispute, announced on Monday.