The board of Aer Lingus will today consider a request from Ryanair for an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders to discuss the Shannon-Heathrow controversy.
It is understood the Aer Lingus directors would be given legal advice obtained on the implications of the resolutions put forward by Ryanair.
Ryanair, which is the largest shareholder in Aer Lingus, has proposed that the meeting should effectively compel management at the former State airline to reverse its decision to end the Shannon-Heathrow service.
It has also proposed that existing Aer Lingus services to London Gatwick could be scaled back to facilitate new routes from Belfast as well as the retention of the Shannon operation.
No decision has yet been taken by Aer Lingus regarding the timing of any extraordinary general meeting.
An Aer Lingus spokeswoman told ireland.comthat the company's monthly board meeting was in progress today. But she said there were no plans to release a statement on Ryanair's request for an EGM or any other matter.
Meanwhile talks continued yesterday between Aer Lingus management and union representatives before the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) over the airline's new Belfast base.
The Irish Airline Pilots' Association and Impact, which called off strike action last week that would have grounded some 40,000 travellers, claim pilots will be hired at the new hub on less favourable pay and conditions than those in the Republic.
The talks are scheduled to continue on Thursday and Friday.
Impact, which is representing Aer Lingus cabin crew, has also written to the Labour Courts to query if a recommendation issued last February that the airline should be allowed to recruit staff in foreign bases at local pay rates included Belfast.
The trade union has also asked if the Labour Court understood the new bases could be at the expense of existing bases. Michael Landers, assistant general secretary of the trade union Impact, said that he was optimistic about the outcome.
The Government is due to discuss the issue tomorrow at the first Cabinet meeting after the summer recess.
The Shannon Connectivity Alliance - which is campaigning against the closure of the Heathrow route - will today hold talks with EU competition and transport officials in Brussels.