Midwest leaders are demanding a meeting with the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern over Aer Lingus's plans to cut its Shannon-to-Heathrow route.
More than 300 tourism, business and community leaders held an emergency meeting this afternoon over Aer Lingus's plans to axe the Shannon route, which carries almost 350,000 passengers each year.
Following the meeting organised by Shannon Development, spokesman John King said a steering group had been formed to carry out a range of actions. These included requesting an immediate statement from Mr Ahern clarifying the Government's position.
It would also seek legal clarification on the decision and urge shareholders to take action. "We want them [the shareholders] to look at the legality of what's been done and see is it actually something that they have the power to do," Mr King said.
The State holds a 25 per cent stake in the airline and has been widely criticised for not intervening as a major shareholder. Since the outcry began this week, neither Mr Ahern nor Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey have commented on the plan.
Mr King said the steering committee would be made up of 10 to 12 regional business and community leaders, and that it would request an urgent meeting with Mr Ahern and Mr Dempsey.
Aer Lingus has been criticised for not seeking board approval before announcing the decision, but the airline's management said the change, which will see the Heathrow slot transferred to Belfast, was an operational issue that it did not need to consult on.
The board of Shannon airport also held an emergency meeting this morning to discuss the issue.
There has been fierce opposition from TDs, regional businesses and community leaders over the carrier's plan, and around €100 million in new tourism developments for the region have been put on hold since the announcement.
Limerick County Council yesterday said up to 10,000 jobs in 28 multinational companies were at risk, while employers' group Ibec said about 20 companies in the midwest had warned that their viability was at risk.
Defence Minister Willie O'Dea called the move "disgraceful".
"The decision flies in the face of the Government's regional policy and should be reversed as the economy as a whole will suffer. There is more than Aer Lingus involved here and its commercial decision."
Ryanair, who also holds 25 per cent in Aer Lingus, has called on the Government to join forces in an effort to force the Aer Lingus board to consider a U-turn.
Shannon Development chairman John Brassil said the Aer Lingus move will have a major impact on the whole western seaboard, from "industrialists who depend on the Heathrow hub to do business to businesses who depend on tourism traffic".
Fine Gael Transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell TD said the Government could not "stop governing" simply because it was a shareholder of Aer Lingus. "The Government's silence as a shareholder might be understandable, but its silence as a government is unforgivable."