Aer Lingus pilots are to meet tonight to hear full details of a deal aimed at ending their dispute with the airline over a new Belfast hub.
Aer Lingus earlier said there will be no disruption to services after a deal was agreed early this morning over the long-running dispute with pilots.
Some 18 hours of weekend talks at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) ended at around 6am with both parties expressing confidence that the stand-off had been resolved.
Dermot Mannion, Aer Lingus
The dispute over terms and conditions at Aer Lingus's new Belfast operation escalated last week when the company threatened to suspend any pilot who refused to co-operate with the creation of the new base.
The Irish Airline Pilots Association (Ialpa) described the threat as a lockout that would have left thousands of passengers without flights. Up to 15,000 passengers daily could have been affected at a cost to the company of around €5 million per day.
The deal, which has yet to be ratified, does not finalise the terms and conditions to apply in Belfast but, crucially, it recognises Ialpa's negotiating role.
The carrier has also committed to filling pilots vacancies on the basis of seniority in the first instance rather than recruiting from outside.
Management has also recognised that pensions for those moving from the Republic or from Belfast at a later date must be transferable.
Pilots will not be able to vote on the new deal immediately because of the difficulty of organising a ballot at short notice while some pilots are on duty outside the country.
A statement issued by Aer Lingus shortly after the talks broke up this morning said: "Following the successful conclusion of talks early this morning, Aer Lingus is pleased to confirm that the threat of disruption to services this week has been lifted."
Describing the mood after this morning's talks, Aer Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion said there was "a far more positive attitude".
"The important thing is now that we have an agreement. It's all systems go for the Belfast base."
Michael Landers assistant general secretary of Impact, of which Ialpa is an affiliate, confirmed that he would be recommending the agreement to his members. He said he was "very pleased" with the outcome, which he described as "very positive".
The executive of Ialpa meets tonight when it is expected to endorse the deal. A meeting of Ialpa is to take placein Dublin at 9.30pm, later than originally planned.
A ballot to ratify the decision is due at a later date.