Aircraft maintenance company SR Technics has been told that it is still in the running to retain the Aer Lingus base or airframe maintenance contract.
However, in a memo to staff issued this afternoon, the company stressed that while this is good news for the company, they have not yet won the business.
Last October, Aer Lingus announced it was putting out to tender its 10-year aircraft maintenance contract with SR Technics, which expires in October.
The tender was divided into four separate contracts.
SRT has already been informed that it has lost the two smaller contracts for wheels and brakes, as well as component maintenance.
However, in this afternoon's memo to staff, the company confirms that it has emerged from the tendering process for the third contract - base or airframe maintenance - as a finalist.
The memo says that SRT understands there may be one or two other parties also involved in this final stage.
It continues that SRT is in the process of signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Aer Lingus, and expects this to be complete today.
Management says the company is also aware that Aer Lingus will not make a final decision on who will get the contract until February.
However, the memo concludes by warning that while this is a good development for SRT, staff should bear in mind that they have not yet won the business.
While the base maintenance contract is very significant, most attention will be on negotiations due to take place in the coming weeks on the line maintenance element of the Aer Lingus tender.
A confidential internal document revealed yesterday by RTÉ News said that if SRT fails to retain the line maintenance contract, the company is likely to close - with the loss of up to 1,500 jobs.
Aer Lingus accounts for 40% of SRT's business in Ireland.
