EU set to reject Ryanair’s takeover bid for Aer Lingus
Published: 12/02/2013 - Filed under: News »
The EU Commission looks set to reject Ryanair’s latest bid for Aer Lingus, according to a press release from the low-cost carrier.
In a statement Ryanair said that it has been “notified this morning (February 12) at a State of Play meeting with the EU Commission, that the EU Commission intends to prohibit Ryanair’s offer for Aer Lingus, despite the fact that Ryanair has met every competition concern raised in the EU’s Statement of Objections and during the review process, including providing the EU – at its request – with irrevocable commitments from not one, but two, upfront buyers to eliminate all competitive overlaps between Ryanair and Aer Lingus”
The carrier says that BA’s owner IAG has committed to “take over divestments of Ryanair’s and Aer Lingus’ entire London-Gatwick operations”, while Flybe has committed to take over 43 Aer Lingus UK and European routes (see online news February 6).
The European Commission is expected to give its decision on Ryanair’s latest bid for Aer Lingus on March 6, and the carrier says it has “instructed its lawyers to appeal any prohibition decision to the European Courts”.
Ryanair’s recently appointed head of communications Robin Kiely said:
“It appears clear from this morning’s meeting, that no matter what remedies Ryanair offered, we were not going to get a fair hearing and we're going to be prohibited regardless of competition rules.
“Given Ryanair’s remedies package clearly addresses every issue raised in the EU’s Statement of Objections, any decision to prohibit would be manifestly unfair and in contravention of EU competition rules.
“Ryanair has no alternative but to appeal any prohibition decision and we expect to get a fair hearing at the European Courts, as we haven’t received one from Commissioner Almunia and his case team. This decision is clearly a political one to meet the narrow, vested interests of the Irish Government and is not based on competition law.”
For more information visit ryanair.com.
Report by Mark Caswell
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COMMENTS »
Shanwick1249 - 12/02/2013 14:35
Ryanair's "remedies" were a joke and a shocking illustration of how the management there has become obsessed to the point of mania by the need to destroy Aer Lingus. The farcical plan to fund a GBP100 million 'competitor' and carve up other routes with British Airways must stand as a real low-point in the already-far-too-crazy world of the airline business.
RYR please go home and sleep it off - and in the morning perhaps consider spending some of the money you were prepared to waste on this nonsense on your passengers instead. I think you might have a few compensation bills to pay…
Swissdiver - 12/02/2013 17:57
Brilliant news for Aer Lingus passengers! And for Ireland in general. What would become a country left with only Ryanair as "national" airline...
NIRscot - 12/02/2013 18:16
It's a vanity project for O'Leary - to finally own the airline that tried to destroy Ryanair. Hopefully this mania will be his undoing.
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