Talks continued at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) last night between management of Aer Lingus and pilots' representatives in an effort to avert the dispute which could ground flights at the airline from tomorrow.
It is understood the parties spent much of the weekend dealing with issues such as pensions and the impact of the establishment of the airline's new base in Belfast on the seniority rights of existing pilots for promotional opportunities.
Pilots had objected to proposals by Aer Lingus to introduce a defined-contribution pension scheme for new recruits to the new Belfast operation.
The company has said existing pilots could move to the new base on secondment - with their existing defined-benefit arrangements - for up to five years.
Aer Lingus has said that the dispute with pilots is about the future of the company and who is running and driving the business.
It has accused the pilots of seeking an effective veto over the company in terms of the development of new bases outside the Republic of Ireland.
The Irish Air Line Pilots Association (Ialpa), which is a branch of the trade union Impact, has said it accepts the cost base for pilots will be lower in Belfast. However, it wants a role in negotiating the terms and conditions to apply in Belfast.
Ialpa also has concerns about the pension scheme and the rights of pilots to transfer between the aireline's various bases.
It has placed a ban on members co-operating with the opening of the base in Belfast.
The dispute could see hundreds of pilots at Aer Lingus being suspended without pay from Tuesday, unless they agree to co-operate with moves to facilitate the opening of a new base.
Already seven pilots have been suspended without pay.
Up to 15,000 passengers daily could be affected if Aer Lingus flights are grounded as a result of the dispute.
The parties spent more than nine hours in talks at the LRC on Saturday, while the discussions yesterday ran for more than eight hours.
Speaking on his way in to the talks yesterday, Michael Landers, the assistant general secretary of Impact, said pilots had come to do business.
He said that the pilots were willing to remain in the negotiations for as long as was necessary.
He stated the union wanted to see a positive attitude from management and to see it address the relevant issues about Belfast in a serious way.
Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion said the company would give the talks their best shot.
Chief executive of the LRC Kieran Mulvey said both management and the pilots' union had been positive in their attitudes during six-hour talks on Saturday.
Aer Lingus has said that despite the talks over the weekend, its deadline of lunchtime today for receipt of undertakings from pilots to agree to co-operate in the recruitment and training of candidates for the new base remained in place.
The airline said pilots would be removed from the payroll by tomorrow morning if they did not provide this undertaking.
Ialpa president Evan Cullen has said the group's policy of non-co-operation with the establishment of the Belfast base also remained.
