Around 100 Aer Lingus pilots have written to the airline expressing an interest in jobs at the company's new base in Belfast.
Pilots have been in dispute with the airline over terms and conditions at the new base since it was announced and had even threatened strike action.
Aer Lingus employs around 500 pilots and has approximately 30 vacancies in Belfast.
The airline wants to recruit Belfast staff on local terms and conditions which pilots' unions have said would be inferior to those in the Republic.
While the estimated 100 pilots have not formally applied for the Belfast jobs, they have written individual letters expressing interest subject to terms and conditions being agreed with their union.
The pilots want all recruitment to be done through Dublin.
They also want all existing collective bargaining agreements to apply in Belfast.
On Friday, Aer Lingus accused the pilots of seeking to obstruct the establishment of their new base.
But the company insists it will meet its December deadline for commencing operations in Northern Ireland.
