Tag Archives: Aer Lingus

WHILE he didn’t go as far as saying that there is no prospect of a deal with IAG on Aer Lingus in the absence of guarantees for Shannon, Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe stressed that connectivity for the Mid-West will be a very important consideration, when he spoke to The Clare Champion. “We’re looking at all of the consequences that the proposed bid could have for connectivity. I’m very much aware of how important connectivity is for the Shannon region and how important Shannon Airport is. I have said throughout all of this that national connectivity and the particular impact on our regions will be vital if a bid comes in,” he said. There have been claims that even if guarantees for Shannon and Cork are built into an eventual agreement between the State and IAG, they will have no real legal standing. Asked if there are any precedents where guarantees have been given on future connectivity, the minister declined to …

CLARE County Council has passed a motion calling on the Government not to dispose of its 25.1% share in Aer Lingus. At a special meeting of the local authority on Monday afternoon, the members passed the motion unanimously, while efforts are to be made to get other local authorities in the region to take a similar stand. There have been fears that if the proposed IAG takeover of Aer Lingus proceeds that Shannon will lose its Heathrow connectivity and several of the members called on Clare’s Oireachtas members to make sure this does not happen. Councillor Pat McMahon said that a future loss of connectivity would “choke future investment in Clare and the surrounding counties”, while Councillor Cathal Crowe warned that Shannon’s industrial base could be reduced to “large empty warehouses if these slots go”. Calls for the retention of the State’s holding weren’t confined to the Fianna Fáil members, with Fine Gael’s Mary Howard saying she would “be very, …

Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has said he is very aware of the importance of connectivity to Shannon Airport and to business in Clare. There have been fears that Shannon’s Heathrow links could be lost if the mooted IAG takeover of Aer Lingus goes through, and while the Minister didn’t explicitly rule out a deal which could see the Clare airport losing connectivity, he stressed that he is very aware of how important the link is, and said connectivity would be an important consideration in making a decision on any bid for the State’s 25.1% stake. In an interview with The Clare Champion, he said, “We’re looking at all of the consequences that the proposed bid could have for connectivity. I’m very much aware of how important connectivity is for the Shannon region and how important Shannon Airport is. I have said throughout all of this that national connectivity and the particular impact on our regions will be vital if a bid …

The IAG bid to takeover Aer Lingus will be the subject of debate at Áras Contae on Chláir on Monday afternoon next. A special meeting of Clare County Council has been called, at which much of the discussion will focus on how any takeover of Aer Lingus might impact on Shannon, and the need, in any circumstances, to protect the airport’s access to the highly lucrative London Heathrow slots. It is expected that the meeting will adopt a resolution calling the Government to stoutly resists pressure to sell off it’s 25.1% take in Aer Lingus, which would scupper IAG’s takeover offer. It has been made clear by Transport Minister, Paschal Donohoe that no “formal offer” has yet been made by IAG and the process is at an “early stage”.

The Oireachtas Transport Committee will hold a special meeting tomorrow (Thursday) to discuss the impact of the potential sale of Aer Lingus. Appearing before the committee in Leinster House will be representatives from: The Irish Airline Pilots Association, The Central Representatives Council of union groups within Aer Lingus, Dublin Chamber of Commerce, Cork Chamber of Commerce, Shannon Chamber of Commerce, Shannon Group PLC, Limerick Chamber of Commerce,IDA Ireland and SIPTU. Chairman, John O’Mahony, said, “Any proposed sale of the State’s stake in Aer Lingus would be of significant interest to passengers and to various interested stakeholder groups, including tourism, business and commerce groups and those working in the aviation industry in Ireland. “Tomorrow we will have a chance to discuss the implications of any possible sale of the Governmen’s stake in the airline in more detail, as well as the impact of any sale for the taxpayer. Committee members will want to address concerns about possible job losses and routes …

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has voiced concerns regarding the proposed takeover of Aer Lingus by IAG. Pat Dawson, CEO of the ITAA said, “We would have some reservations with regard to the proposed takeover of Aer Lingus by IAG. It is crucial that the existing slots between Dublin, Cork, Shannon and Heathrow Airport are protected and maintained. We realise that a long term agreement to this effect may be difficult to secure, but everything that can be done should be done now”. Mr Dawson continued, “The ITAA would see value for money and greater choice for Irish consumers as being a vital part of the negotiations and central to any agreement reached. It is our opinion that the Aer Lingus brand and all that it encompasses is worth more than the €1.35 billion currently proposed. Aer Lingus is a worldwide brand viewed by many as providing a friendly and safe service both at home and abroad. “We would …

Minister for Transport, Paschal Donohoe has briefed Cabinet colleagues on the approaches that have been made to the board of Aer Lingus by International Airlines Group (IAG) – each of which is in the public domain. Outlining the current situation, he said, “The Government notes the statement by the Board of Aer Lingus this morning that it has indicated to IAG that the financial terms of the latest proposal are at a level which it would be willing to recommend, subject to being satisfied with the manner in which IAG proposes to address the interests of relevant parties. “The process involving a potential sale of Aer Lingus to IAG is in the early stages. It is important to note that IAG has made a proposal to make an offer and that no formal offer has yet been made. “At this point I want to again emphasise that proposals, which involve the potential sale of the State’s Aer Lingus shares, will …

Retention of slots for Irish airports must be pre-requisite in any IAG take-over of Aer Lingus, a leading industrial figure in Shannon has warned. Mr Ken Sullivan, an executive director of Element Six, said that the ability to attract further investment into the region will be undermined by any threat to Shannon-Heathrow slots. He said that Government must make retention of slots for Shannon, as well as Cork and Dublin, a prerequisite for its agreement to any deal. “This region is every bit as dependent now on Shannon-Heathrow services as it was back in 2007 when the Shannon slots were moved temporarily to Belfast. The business community here united in opposition to that move and this time around the threat is not just to Shannon but also Cork and Dublin,” said Mr Sullivan, who was vice chairman of the Atlantic Connectivity Alliance – the group of business and tourism representatives that came together to seek the restoration of Shannon Heathrow …