Around 100 pilots at Aer Lingus have written to management at the airline expressing an interest in operating from its planned new base in Belfast, it emerged last night.
Sources close to the Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) said that the pilots had written individually to Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion stating that they would be prepared to move to Belfast, subject to terms and conditions being agreed with their representative body.
Aer Lingus was unable to confirm the pilots' letter last night.
The airline is seeking about 30 pilots to operate its new base in Belfast, which is due to come into operation from December 10th. Aer Lingus employs around 500 pilots.
On Friday, Aer Lingus effectively rejected proposals put forward by Ialpa, which is a branch of the trade union Impact, which were aimed at resolving the on-going row over the Belfast base. This dispute almost led to a 48-hour strike at the airline in August.
Aer Lingus said the Belfast base would come into operation on December 10th "with or without the agreement of Ialpa".
Ialpa had proposed that pilots for the Belfast base should be recruited in Dublin on terms currently applying in the Republic before being sent on secondment to the North.
It also proposed that all collective agreements which currently applied in the Republic should also apply in Belfast. It also sought that all contracts and disputes regarding Belfast should be governed by Irish laws.