FlyingIrishman
1. O'Leary is a profit orientated businessman that knows how to handle competition. He is not running a charity and can't afford to either! He is interested in Irish tourism but on the terms that he can deliver tourists because none of the other losers are able to.
Sure ...not a charity fine...ok.....competition....alright good....
As I said MOL doesn't give a tinker's curse about tourism, or even his own employees (at every level not just the pilots). Ask the cabin crew about their pay cut and having to pay for uniforms etc etc....I could go on ad nauseum but I'd just be repeating what has been done to death here. Now tourism MOL I'm quite sure doesn't even understand, the only thing which rocks his boat is YIELD!. That's fine ...no problem with that except some of the "losers" as you say might have also been able to deliver "tourists" if they were allowed to unhindered by restrictive practices. I think you'll find that this is not quite the end of the matter as it is now being investigated asI understand.
2. You didn't really expect him to quietly sit back and watch Go eat into what are now his profits. And anyway, supposing FR hadn't entered the EDI market what do you think Go would have done after their promotional offers? Not flying people for free!!!
I don't think you have quite grasped what people are telling you on this topic. Nobody has ownership rights of profits "his profits". As to what GO might or mightn't have done after their promotion is just mere conjecture. It is normal practice to have a promotion for new routes. Flying for free is a bit of a gimmick but good for headlines and great if you get a ticket. Don't expext too much in return though. I think you'll find FR pricey enough in April on that route now that Go are exiting. As you said yourself "O'Leary is a profit orientated businessman". You don't make profits giving free tickets away. You will lose out as a result of less choice in the market....I think that is what you need to understand.