Little ol’ Aer Lingus. Who’d have thought the airline could ever be so interesting — notwithstanding that anything can happen when Michael O’Leary is involved and IAG’s €1.36 billion takeover of the Irish flag carrier is cleared for take-off pending the pledging of Ryanair’s near-30 per cent stake.
The British Airways group has spent more than six months trying to persuade the Irish government that despite a forthcoming general election and the impending centenary of the Easter Rising, an IAG deal with Aer Lingus is in everyone’s interest.
But apart from about €100 million of operating profits, what is BA/IAG getting by adding a fourth small leg to its Spanish brands, Iberia and Vueling?
Ireland has US “favoured nation” status with passenger customs pre-clearance