Aer Lingus pilots have voted overwhelmingly to accept a deal which will get the company's planes back in air.

Managers had already said they would agree to the proposals drawn up by Ireland's Labour Relations Commission.

We feel justified by the Labour Relations Commission's recommendations

Michael Landers Impact

The whole of the Irish national airline's fleet has been grounded since pilots staged a one day strike on Thursday to protest about their working hours.

After a four and a half hour meeting in Dublin on Monday night, 91% of the pilots voted in favour of the deal.

Anger

Although, in theory, the pilots could go back to work immediately, Aer Lingus has said flights will not resume until Wednesday.

Michael Landers, assistant general secretary of the pilots' union Impact, told BBC News that his members had expressed their anger at the way they had been treated by the company.

Their protest began because they objected to work rosters which reduced their rest times between shifts.

Under the agreed deal, their rest periods can be reduced up to six times a year.

Mr Landers said: "We feel justified by the Labour Relations Commission's recommendations".

Survival plan

The dispute has affected more than 100,000 passengers and is thought to have cost the airline about 2m euros ($1.9m; �1.3m) a day.

Aer Lingus flights can now resume

There were warnings that it could destroy Aer Lingus and that it would seriously damage Ireland's economy.

Aer Lingus is expected to lose at least 130m euros this year ($120m) after an estimated 90 million euros ($80m) loss last year.

The airline was badly hit by the fall in tourism after the 11 September terrorist attack.

The foot-and-mouth crisis also hit ticket sales.

The company brought in the new working arrangements as part of a survival plan designed to reduce its losses.