Etihad Airways has raised its stake in Aer Lingus to 4.1% as the Abu Dhabi airline continues to invest in foreign carriers.
Aer Lingus, in a statement on its website, said Etihad had increased its stake to 22 million shares, or 4.1% of total shares, from 16.1 million.
It was the second time in recent weeks that the carrier has increased its stake.
It passed the 3% threshold on 28 February.
Although the stake will not give Etihad much control in Aer Lingus, it could be a stepping stone for a bigger holding – if Ryanair eventually disposes of its large stake.
Etihad chief financial officer James Rigney told the press last week that the airline had already recouped its entire investment in Aer Lingus and said that "everything we receive going forward is incremental".