The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) will seek 400 redundancies from its workforce of 3,600, a spokeswoman for Ireland's state-owned airport operator said on May 12.

The DAA, which also operates airports in Shannon in the west and Cork in the south of Ireland, predicted last month that 2009 passenger numbers at all three airports would fall 11 percent, and forecast an "earnings shortfall" of EUR60-EUR70 million (US$82-US$95 million).

"They (redundancies) are part of cost-cutting suggestions outlined and are being discussed in a union process from here on in," the spokeswoman told Reuters, adding a meeting between unions and management was taking place.

Swiss aircraft maintenance group SR Technics laid off around 700 Dublin-based staff last month as the company winds down its Irish business, and Irish budget airline Ryanair cut 200 jobs in February including substantial reductions at its Dublin airport base.