Aer Lingus – IAG concessions

After saying emphatically he will not move on the latest offer Willie Walsh has quietly offered concessions to the European Commission’s (EC) competition authority in IAG's efforts to take over Aer Lingus.

A brief note on the competition section of the EC website said “remedies” were offered last Wednesday by IAG, parent group of British Airways, Iberia and Vueling, in connection with its proposed takeover.

The deadline for the EC’s decision on whether to allow the bid has also been pushed back by two weeks, to 15 July, the same date as the Aer Lingus AGM.

Rivals to British Airways have raised concerns about the threat to competition if the takeover is allowed.

Some airlines, independent regional carrier CityJet for instance, who operate in competition with BA on the high frequency London City Airport – Dublin route, could be affected by the IAG acquisition, as the IAG/Aer Lingus offering will dominate the business market between the two cities.

Concessions in such cases can take several forms, such as an offer by the acquiring airline to give up a certain number of slots to rivals.  IAG has already said that it will maintain the Aer Lingus brand, management and connectivity to the UK.    www.aerlingus.com     www.iairgroup.com

Index/Home page
 

OUR READERS' FINEST WORDS (All times and dates are GMT)

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 100 words maximum