The board of the Shannon Airport Authority has has written to the Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey asking him to intervene in the "crisis" over the withdrawal of the airline's slots to London Heathrow.
In a statement, Shannon Airport Authority chairman Pat Shanahan said it is "incumbent on the Minister, in the national interest, to do whatever is necessary to bring about a quick resolution to this matter and that it not be allowed to drag for anything up to two months before an extraordinary general meeting is held".
Rival airline Ryanair, which is a 25 per cent shareholder in Aer Lingus, and the Aer Lingus employee share ownership trust (ESOT) both want an EGM in order to force a reversal of the airline's decision.
Mr Shanahan expressed concern about the impact on business across west, mid-west and midlands regions, which he said depended on access to London's key international hub for connectivity to international markets.
He said the airport authority has "directly requested Aer Lingus Chief Executive Dermot Mannion to engage in meaningful discussions with a view to expanding their historically successful existence at Shannon Airport".
He said that in his letter, he had stated that it is Shannon Airport Authority's "unequivocal belief that the national carrier, Aer Lingus, is the best airline to serve this route".
"Aer Lingus has operated this service for almost 50 years and in that time has contributed to the successful development of Shannon Airport and to many multinational and indigenous businesses in the West of Ireland. This vital link providing connectivity to worldwide destinations cannot be lost," his statement added.
Mr. Shanahan welcomed the expansion of Aer Lingus into Belfast but said this "does not have to happen at the expense of the Shannon-Heathrow service as both can successfully co-exist successfully, operating out of different markets within the island of Ireland".
"The Board of Shannon Airport Authority firmly believes that with realistic engagement we can resolve this issue quickly to the satisfaction of all parties," the statement concluded.