Aer Lingus has rejected the request from Ryanair to hold an extraordinary general meeting (egm) of the company to seek a reversal of the decision to end the Shannon-Heathrow route.
The airline said the resolutions put forward by the low-cost carrier's chief executive would result in a breach of European Union and Irish competition law conveyed this to Ryanair through a letter yesterday evening.
But Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary said he had yet to receive the letter.
"I've not yet received a response to our request for an egm so I'm not able to comment on what our response will be," Mr O'Leary told The Irish Times. It is understood, however, that Ryanair believes it is now entitled by law to proceed itself with convening an egm of Aer Lingus shareholders.
Aer Lingus said Ryanair's request for an egm on August 13th last, constituted a request to collude with and exert influence over the company in respect its commercial strategy on the routes affected.
The Atlantic Connectivity Alliance lobby group, set up after Aer Lingus decided to drop the Shannon routes to Heathrow, said it noted the Aer Lingus decision and said in a statement: "The decision does not impact on the campaign being taken by ACA to retain the Shannon Heathrow slots and preserve them in perpetuity for Shannon.
Meanwhile, Aer Lingus management and representatives of its pilots are to hold direct talks next week in a bid to resolve the row over the airline's plan to establish a new base in Belfast.