Anti-racism groups have accused Ryanair of giving credibility to the far-right Austrian politician, Dr Jörg Haider, who will promote a new route by the no-frills airline in London next week.
Anti-Nazi demonstrators are due to protest at the press event to mark the start of the service from London to Klagenfurt, capital of the Carinthian province of which the controversial politician is governor.
The Anti-Nazi League in London last night dubbed the airline "Aryanair" for allowing its name to be associated with the former leader of the xenophobic Freedom Party who has in the past praised Hitler's employment policies.
In Dublin, a Government advisory body on racism plans to write to the airline asking it to dissociate itself from the event, which has been organised by the Carinthian Tourist Board.
Mr Philip Watt, from the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, said the association between the popular carrier and Mr Haider "gives credibility to a man with very extreme and racism views. It's very worrying.
"We are concerned that Ryanair is associated with this event and will ask them to reconsider what they are doing."
A spokeswoman for the Carinthian Tourist Board refused to comment on the criticism of the choice of Mr Haider for the launch. She said Ryanair chief executive Mr Michael O'Leary was present at a similar launch attended by Mr Haider in Austria earlier this year. However, he was not available to attend next week's press conference, she added. A spokeswoman for Ryanair said the June 27th launch was not a Ryanair event and that the airline would respond to Mr Watt's criticisms in writing. "As far as Ryanair is concerned, people's political preferences are completely irrelevant."
Dr Haider and the Freedom Party remain a focus for the European far-right, although he stepped down as party leader two years ago. The presence of the party in coalition government led to the imposition of sanctions by the EU in 1999.
Dr Haider owes much of his international notoriety to remarks he made praising Hitler's employment policies and honouring SS veterans, which have given the impression he takes an equivocal view of the Third Reich.
In 1991, he was forced to step down as provincial governor of Carinthia because of a comment in the provincial parliament that the Third Reich had an "orderly" employment policy. He later withdrew the remark. He has always denied being an extremist and even likes to compare himself politically to the British Prime Minister, Mr Blair.