Aer Lingus has rescinded its decision not to carry human remains on flights from the UK to Ireland from January 1st.
The airline confirmed yesterday that it had reached agreement and signed contracts with a handling company in Heathrow to continue to provide the service.
Aer Lingus also confirmed yesterday that it is to make arrangements for an "interline" or transfer service for remains coming into Heathrow on other airlines.
This service had ceased since September 1st. It had allowed Irish bodies to be brought home via Heathrow from destinations such as Australia.
There was a public outcry about the decision from emigrant groups in the UK and Australia, and from undertakers and clergy. The bodies of around 1,200 Irish people who die abroad, many of them emigrants who want to be buried at home, are carried by Aer Lingus each year.
On Wednesday Ms Eileen Clifford, the mother of a 24-year-old man from Killorglin, Co Kerry, who died accidentally in Sydney 10 days previously spoke of the difficulty she had had in trying to arrange the transfer of her son's body from Heathrow.
Aer Lingus put in place special arrangements to bring her son home to Shannon on Tuesday, after it arrived into Heathrow on a Qantas flight from Sydney.
Mr Noel Clifford was buried yesterday in Milltown cemetery in Co Kerry. The chief celebrant at his Mass was the Archbishop of Cashel, Dr Dermot Clifford, a family friend.
Father Michael Fleming, parish priest of Killorglin, told the congregation that his family's faith, the support of the community and their memories of their son's very positive outlook on life had kept them going.
Several of Mr Clifford's friends who had travelled with him to Australia attended the funeral.
Yesterday a spokeswoman said Aer Lingus recognised the sensitivity for families and all those involved in the carrying of remains.
She said that the airline had been involved with the Irish Association of Funeral Directors and companies on how to continue the service and had now finalised arrangements and signed contracts with a handling company in Heathrow.
"This will enable us continue to provide an interline service for the carriage of human remains from anywhere in the world, transiting through London Heathrow to Dublin, Cork, and Shannon on Aer Lingus services," she said.