Aer Lingus staff opposed to Ryanair's EUR1.48 billion euro (USD$1.9 billion) bid for it are looking at blocking the deal by increasing employees' 15 percent stake, the Irish Times reported.

The Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT) has looked at ways of financing the purchase of additional shares, including using its existing stake as security for a loan, the newspaper said on Monday, quoting a source advising opponents to the bid.

Neither Air Lingus nor ESOT were available to comment on the report which followed Ryanair's surprise cash offer for the company on Thursday that valued its Irish rival at 27 percent more than on its stock market debut earlier this month.

Other potential investors involved in the British and US aviation industries had also contacted Aer Lingus advisers to signal their intention to buy shares in a bid to stop Ryanair moving into the long-haul market, the newspaper said.

Dublin-based Ryanair, Europe's biggest low-cost airline, has already acquired 19.2 percent of Aer Lingus and its offer is conditional on securing at least 50.1 percent but the Irish government has said it plans to hang on to its 28 percent.

"Every share that is taken off the table puts another dent in the Ryanair attempt to get control," the Irish Times quoted the source as saying.