Kerry Airport Ireland management have advised staff that, to augment the financial losses associated with the downturn due to COVID-19, a significant number of employees will be placed on temporary layoff from Monday November 16.

The Airport will remain open throughout and beyond the current Level 5 restrictions to service the Kerry-Dublin PSO flights, but the four-week cancellation of all Ryanair flights has led to this unfortunate decision.

“Every effort has been made until now to minimise the impact of the financial losses associated with this downturn in activity,” CEO of Kerry Airport, John Mulhern, said.

“Unless we take this action, Kerry Airport will not be in a financial position to withstand this prolonged decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Every avenue to prevent the decisions I now make have been exhausted and I sincerely thank every one of my colleagues for the efforts they have made to keep all our operations in place since March.”

The duration of this layoff is uncertain at present and may well extend beyond four weeks, while a cohort of people who remain will cover multiple operational requirements.

Every effort will be made to get all employees back to the workplace as soon as possible and management will stay in touch and available throughout the layoff and contact staff with any updates as soon as possible.

“I fully understand how upsetting this news is for everybody and this is certainly a day we all fought so bravely to avoid.”