RTE News has learnt that 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. It wants to recruit Belfast staff on local terms and conditions, which pilots' unions say 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 - with staff then being seconded to Belfast. They also want all existing collective bargaining agreements to apply in Belfast.
But last Friday, Aer Lingus accused the pilots of seeking to obstruct the establishment of its new base. An Aer Lingus source could not confirm how many existing pilots have applied for Belfast. But the company insists it will meet its December deadline for commencing operations in the North.
