Aer Lingus and FLS will sign heads of agreement today to formally begin winding up the process for sale of TEAM to the Danish group. Today is also the final deadline for employees of the aircraft maintenance facility to accept the £54.5 million offer to buy out their letters of guarantee.

Aer Lingus expects that 90 per cent of the 1,550 workers will accept the offer. The group says there is work for only around 40 TEAM employees if they return to Aer Lingus.

Sources said last night that there had been a "steady trickle" of acceptances rather than a huge amount of activity regarding the offer, in recent days.