Low-cost airline EasyJet could be set to go head to head with Ryanair in the Irish market.

The no-frills carrier has secured a number of take-off and landing slots at Dublin airport for next winter according to the Irish Independent.

It marks its first possible offering from Dublin, after short-lived services from Shannon, Cork and Knock in 2004.

However the paper says despite securing the Dublin airport slots, EasyJet may not end up using them.