Aer Lingus says all of its transatlantic services will operate normally today after hundreds of passengers had their weekend travel plans disrupted.
Passengers were delayed in Dublin, Shannon, New York and Boston after two of the airline's planes were damaged by a freak gust of wind at Dublin Airport on Saturday.
The situation was exacerbated by the company's difficulties in securing alternative aircraft over the holiday weekend.
All of those who had been due to fly on Saturday or Sunday had been accommodated on alternative services by last night.
However, a further 300 passengers who had been due to fly from Shannon or Dublin to Chicago yesterday were unable to depart, as their flight was cancelled. They are due to leave today.
An Aer Lingus spokeswoman said a full transatlantic service would be restored today and passengers should check in at the normal times.
The delays indirectly arose from unofficial industrial action by ground staff at Shannon on Saturday, which ended later that day.
As a result of the action, over the airline's decision to reduce the number of check-in desks at Shannon from 12 to 10, an Airbus A330 aircraft was delayed at Dublin. A violent gust caused it to collide with another Airbus A330 parked next to it. Both planes, which were unoccupied at the time, were damaged.
Hundreds of passengers had their departures delayed for two days as a result of the incident, while others due to fly on Sunday were forced to wait until yesterday. The airline provided hotel accommodation for those stranded.
About 450 passengers who had been due to fly to New York from Shannon on Saturday were flown out yesterday, 392 of them on an aircraft hired in by the company. The remainder were accommodated on alternative services.
The 155 passengers who had been due to leave for New York from Dublin on Sunday departed on a 4.30 p.m. flight yesterday.Some passengers who had been booked on that flight were flown out instead on a later scheduled flight at 7 p.m.
Those who had been due to fly to Chicago yesterday from Shannon via Dublin will now depart today, the airline's spokeswoman said. The flight is to leave Shannon at 11.45 a.m. and Dublin at 1.30 p.m.
Passengers who had been delayed in New York and Boston have been accommodated on alternative flights, some on an aircraft hired in by the company. Some of those arrived in Ireland on Sunday evening and others yesterday morning.
