THREATENED strike action by Aer Arann pilots has been called off after management and pilot representatives struck a deal during crunch talks. The regional airline confirmed all services would operate fully and normally, as the planned action on Tuesday and Wednesday was cancelled. Pilots and management had been locked in a row over pay, leaving tens of thousands of air passengers fearing travel chaos. A new agreement, reached after hours of tense negotiations, will now be put to pilots in a ballot. The deal re-establishes pay scale progression, which had been suspended in 2008, and proposes a retention bonus for pilots who were hired before July 22 2012 and who remain with Aer Arann after June 2014. A separate ballot among Aer Lingus pilots has also been halted.