Aer Lingus Gold Circle Club - Irish gov to sell remaining 25% in Aer Lingus

Ok time to place bets who is going to buy the Irish governments stake , in a separate development ryanair has said it won't bid for this stake and is willing to sell it's own 29% stake at the right price
Am wondering will IAG make a move

Moving this to the airline forum covering Aer Lingus.

Please follow at its new home.

Thanks.

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Cholula
CommunityBuzz! Co-Moderator

IAG is eyeing bmi for its slots. Aer Lingus has a similar appeal.

Neither airline is a useful operational addition for BA, though, apart from a little regional feed through LHR and even then, they're probably not worried.

I hope IAG ends up with the govt percentage of shares. I really want EI back in OW.

Just thinking would the European commission have an issue with IAG taking over EI due no of slots at LHR, anti competitive etc , should be interesting though

Just thinking would the European commission have an issue with IAG taking over EI due no of slots at LHR, anti competitive etc , should be interesting though

I can't see a problem with IAG buying EI. Now I could see some concern with IAG buying BD.

As DUB is the no. 3 destination from Heathrow - almost 1.5 million pax in 2010 (2.1m if you count ORK and SNN) and it is mostly composed of EI pax (perhaps 15% of DUB on bmi), I'd say that constitutes grounds for concern. True bmi has the second largest number of slots, but EI is not far behind... I can't quite remember, but perhaps 5th or 6th - equally grounds for concern.

/wished EI could buy BD and turn it around/

For summer 2011 EI has 3.5% of the slots, the 4th biggest share. A few more than Virgin too.

well, if LH is allowed to buy Swiss, SN Brusselles and Austrain. I am sure IAg can remind LH and its German regulators that BD and EI should have no impact whatsoever to the competition in LHR.

However, I can see French/Dutch may have an issue. (as AF/KL really have no take over target at this moment rather than Alitalia few months back).

Also I can see VS would not be terribly happy.

Personally I think IAG is going to take over one or two of the following:

BD, EI or TAP.

Longer term I think FlyBe might be a sound target. However FlyBe might merge with AB or Finnair alike smaller European players with increasing competition.

Also watch Malev, one of the hot takeover target this year in Europe.

Personally I think IAG is going to take over one or two of the following:

BD, EI or TAP.


I just don't see IAG being allowed to buy BD. However, I can see EI and TP becoming components of IAG .


Longer term I think FlyBe might be a sound target. However FlyBe might merge with AB or Finnair alike smaller European players with increasing competition.


I would love to see that happen.


Also watch Malev, one of the hot takeover target this year in Europe.

That will be hard to do since MA is 95% govt owned, and after the Russian debacle I don't think they're going to be open to selling to anyone other than the big carriers.