Aer Lingus pilots threatening to strike next week have said they are open to hold discussions with airline management at the Labour Relations Commission.
However, Aer Lingus rejected the offer of talks while the strike threat remains in place.
The 480 pilots - who are members of the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (Ialpa) branch of Impact - are planning to stage a 48-hour strike next Tuesday and Wednesday over the proposed employment of new pilots in Belfast on lesser conditions than colleagues in Dublin.
The action could affect up to 50,000 passengers intending to travel on some 200 flights.
The LRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey this morning offered to mediate in the dispute, warning that Aer Lingus and the pilots were "backing themselves into corners".
LRC chief executive Kieran Mulvey
In a statement this afternoon, Impact said the union was ready to engage in talks with Aer Lingus at the LRC.
Impact official Michael Landers said the union had always been prepared to hold negotiations with management. "The problem has been that the airline has refused to engage with us and has pushed ahead to establish a base in Belfast, with complete disregard to its obligations under collective agreements between the union and the company," said Mr Landers.
Aer Lingus rejected Impact's offer to enter talks.
"We cannot consider this request from Impact until the notice of industrial action has been fully withdrawn," the airline said in a statement. "Our total focus at the moment is on looking after our customers who will be severely inconvenienced by any action taken."
Earlier today, Mr Mulvey said he feared the future of Aer Lingus "is seriously at stake" over both the pilots issue and the ongoing row over its plans to axe its Shannon-Heathrow route and move operations to Belfast.
The future of the airline, which he described as having an "essential national role", was entwined with the future of the country, given the fact that Ireland is the most open economy in the world and is heavily reliant on air links.
"We seem to be going down a series of cul-de-sacs," Mr Mulvey said of the pilots' dispute. "There's no light at the end of any of the particular tunnels."
However, he was hopeful that if contact is instigated between all parties before next week, the two-day strike by pilots could be averted.
"I believe there is sufficient time for the parties to sit down to come to some interim arrangement if necessary without putting at risk any commercial decision the company has made in relation to Belfast."
Mr Mulvey said the Labour Court had previously been asked to investigate a number of changes within the structure of Aer Lingus. The issue of Belfast and Shannon was not addressed as it hadn't yet arisen.
"In that sense, this is a new dispute," he said, adding that the Labour Relations Commission was offering its services to mediate any talks between the airline and the pilots.
"They know where we are. We are available to assist them as we always have in the past to successfully conclude their disputes and difficulties. They know who I am. They know who my officers are. They can telephone us if they wish," he said.
"I don't think we need this dispute," Mr Mulvey told RTÉ's Morning Ireland. "Potentially, it's settleable."
Mr Mulvey also accused Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary, who has offered to use his airline's 25 per cent vote in the company to force Aer Lingus to reverse its decision to move to Belfast, of engaging in "Monty Pythonesque slapstick" that cannot be taken seriously.
"I suspect he has a different business agenda here and I don't think it's in Aer Lingus's interest."
Mr Mulvey said the Government, as a major shareholder in Aer Lingus, needs to take a position on what it believes to be the future of the company. "I think they made that decision when they decided to privatise the airline."