RTÉ has learned that the three top executives at Aer Lingus, including Chief Executive Willie Walsh, have resigned from the airline.
Mr Walsh, along with the Chief Operations Officer Seamus Kearney and Chief Financial Officer Brian Dunne, will leave the airline in May.
Earlier this year the three men sought permission from the Government to pursue a management buyout of the airline.
However, they subsequently announced that they were abandoning that plan.
It is unclear as yet what the three executives will do after leaving Aer Lingus.
The Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, expressed regret at the resignations, saying the executives had helped turn the airline's fortunes around in the past three years.
Mr Cullen said he would meet Aer Lingus Chairman John Sharman over the coming days.
