DUBLIN, June 12 (Reuters) - Irish airline Aer Lingus will announce on Friday that it is cutting several routes to the United States next winter and possibly indefinitely, the Irish Times newspaper reported.
A spokeswoman for Aer Lingus declined to comment.
Aer Lingus said last week it was facing the most difficult period in its 73 years, declined to give earnings guidance and was unable to say when a recovery plan might be ready.
The former state airline carried 90,000 passengers in May on its long-haul routes, -- all to and from the U.S. -- 21 percent less than a year earlier, with the average transatlantic flight filled to just two-thirds capacity.
The Irish Times said Aer Lingus would cut flights from Shannon in the west of Ireland to New York and Chicago in its winter schedule to stem mounting losses, also slashing routes from Dublin to Washington and San Francisco.
Aer Lingus, which has fended off two takover attempts by Irish rival Ryanair, will ask staff to take unpaid leave because of the route cuts, the paper said. (Reporting by Andras Gergely; editing by Mike Nesbit)