THE sale of Aer Lingus to British Airways carrier IAG will protect Shannon Airport’s routes to Britain and across the Atlantic, a Fine Gael senator has said.
Senator Tony Mulcahy said he believes the move by the Irish Government to sell Ireland’s national airline will “provide the necessary security” for the west of Ireland airport.
The Senator, who threatened to resign as party whip if the Aer Lingus sale was approved without the necessary guarantees, says he believes the assurances are in place to protect Shannon.
“Thanks to the Government's diligence during the negotiation process, IAG's position has since changed and they are now willing to retain existing transatlantic connectivity and commit to developing new routes.”
Last night saw the Irish Government officially give the green light to the sale of its 25 per cent stake in Aer Lingus to International Airlines Group (IAG) for the first time since negotiations over the proposed sale began earlier this year.
The airline’s routes between London Heathrow and Dublin, Cork and Shannon will remain untouched for at least seven years following the takeover, and Aer Lingus headquarters will remain in Ireland, the Government confirmed.
The Dáil is now debating the terms of the agreement, with a vote due tomorrow.
While the Fine Gael man praised the move by his party colleagues and the Labour Party to commit to the sale, other parties were not so impressed with the idea.
Cllr Cian Prendeville, a Socialist Party TD from Limerick, was much more dubious about the security of Ireland's secondary airports following the news.
He said: “Since the news broke last night, there is a lot of worry among workers and people about Shannon Airport. The so-called ‘guarantees’ are only a seven-year stay of execution for Shannon and Cork Airports and for the workers across Aer Lingus.”
His party colleague Ruth Coppinger also believes the deal is not going to benefit the Irish Government or state.
“While this is being presented as a good deal for the state, it is only a good deal for IAG. They are acquiring a company for €1.4 billion which had almost €1 billion revenue and lucrative Heathrow slots,” she said.
“They have no interest in Aer Lingus, the real goal for them is to gain control over the Heathrow slots.”
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