Ryanair could sell Aer Lingus stake

Is there about to be another twist in the long-running saga of Aer Lingus and Ryanair?  Founded by the late Tony Ryan, the Dublin-based airline says that it is prepared to sell its 29% stake in the former Irish flag carrier to an EU airline offering to buy out Aer Lingus.

Ryanair’s reputation for running a legal tightrope means that rivals and interested parties are taking a much closer look than usual.

"This changes nothing as there are no obvious buyers", said Donal O'Neill, an analyst at Goodbody Stockbrokers.

"This will form the basis of an appeal against a likely Competition Commission decision to force a sale, buying Ryanair time”, he said.

The UK Competition Commission is due to rule on a possible forced sale of the stake in September.  Any appeal could scare off other possible strategic investors in Aer Lingus and frustrate the Irish Government's efforts to divest its 25% stake to cut its debt. www.ryanair.com  www.aerlingus.com

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