Aer Lingus has said it will hire two aircraft from Ryanair to provide cover for the 48-hour strike planned by its pilots for next Tuesday and Wednesday.
The airline confirmed it has leased two planes from its rival and largest shareholder. "Customers come first," said a spokesman for the airline. A Ryanair spokesman confirmed Aer Lingus had been offered planes
Ryanair, which this week increased its stake in Aer Lingus to more than 28 per cent, has been a vocal critic of the plan to move routes from Shannon to London Heathrow to Belfast airport that triggered the dispute. It has called an extraordinary general meeting of Aer Lingus to try and have the decision reversed. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has branded the move "insane".
The dispute - which centres on Aer Lingus' decision to open the Belfast hub - could ground more than 40,000 passengers.
Union leaders are concerned the airline is planning to recruit pilots for its Belfast base on lower pay and conditions than their Dublin counterparts
Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion said the strike was "wholly unnecessary" and would damage "all of our interests associated with the organisation".
Meanwhile, a delegation of American pilots have announced plans to travel to Ireland in support of the planned strike action.
The Allied Pilots Association (APA) said it supports the 48-hour strike to be held by the airline's pilots on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"The Irish pilots' struggle to ensure that their airline's management complies with the terms of their collective bargaining agreement is every airline pilot's struggle worldwide," APA president Captain Lloyd Hill said.
"The pilots of Aer Lingus recognise this scheme for what it is - a breach of the job and work security agreement that the Irish Air Line Pilots Association (IALPA) has with the company.
"Our brothers and sisters at Aer Lingus are rightfully concerned about their airline's decision to establish a base in Belfast with a separate pilot group on inferior terms and conditions.
"We will be dispatching an APA delegation to Ireland to provide on-the-scene assistance as the Aer Lingus pilots prepare to exercise their lawful right to withhold their services."
APA represents 12,000 pilots of American Airlines.
Between 4,000 and 5,000 people attended a march in Shannon last night that the event "is the first step in the long march to have the Heathrow slots restored to Shannon airport". Addressing the 'Solidarity Walk' on the road leading into Shannon airport, Aer Lingus worker, Tony Kinnane said that the Aer Lingus workers were "humbled by the sheer volume of people that have turned out'.