Pilots to vote on proposed deal to resolve Ryanair dispute

Around 100 Dublin-based Ryanair pilots will vote on a proposed deal to resolve the ongoing dispute at the company.

The ballot is due to take place after an agreement was reached between Ryanair and pilots' union Fórsa.

The union said the proposed agreement will now be balloted by members with the union recommending that it is accepted.

In a statement, Ryanair said it will take the proposals to its board "in due course" after the pilots' ballot.

Both Fórsa and Ryanair said they have been asked by talks facilitator Kieran Mulvey not to make any further comment while the ballot takes place.

The dispute between the airline and some of its Irish pilots centred around base transfers, promotions, annual leave and other issues.

It has resulted in five days of strike action by around 100 of Ryanair's 350 Irish-based pilots.

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The union's negotiating team during the talks was made up of representatives of Ryanair pilots who are members of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (IALPA) and Fórsa officials. IALPA is a branch of Fórsa.

It is understood that Ryanair is expected to remove the threat of job losses if the deal with pilots is ratified.

Last month, the airline issued 90-day protective notices to 100 pilots and 200 cabin crew based at Dublin Airport, partly blaming the effect of strikes.

It said it would cut the Dublin fleet by six planes and move them to Poland.

However, as part of the agreement reached overnight, it is understood the airline's negotiators will recommend to the board that the protective notices are removed if the deal is passed.

That ballot by the pilots involved is expected to take place in two weeks' time.

It is also understood that the deal includes an overall agreement and a specific piece on base transfers and command upgrades, a key issue in the dispute.

This is the first collective agreement the airline has reached in Ireland, since it agreed to recognise unions last year.

It is also being keenly watched by unions in other European countries which are in dispute with the carrier.

Pilots based in Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Belgium and the Netherlands have all engaged in a series of 24-hour strikes this summer.