Well, back from the dead some may say...
Leo, I have to say I feel a slight bit flatulant after that much hot air blown up my rear end...
And the replies have been interesting... To give credit to some assumptions made by others there is an interesting point regarding open skies agreements and the use of Aer Lingus, but these points have far wider implications than mere cheaper air fares...
The biggest issue with a 'single irish airline' is a question of competition. Monopolies never work for the consumer... You want a good example? Take the government run example of SITPU at Dublin Airport... And I agree, theyre not perfect, but please compared to some others theyre not THAT BAD...
You talk about Aer Lingus funnelling the pax on to the states after stopover in ORK, SNN, and DUB... Ok, Sorry, but how do you plan to get a 330 or even 777 or 787 on the gnd in ORK?!?!
And to be blatantly honest, isnt aer fungus already feeding off our pax being brought into these airports already? Really they realise the positive aspects of competition... Whilst ryr might be taking pax off their Paris-Dublin route (poor bastards have to sit in a bus for 2 hours to get to Beauvais!), Aer Fungus more than realises many of these pax will then jump aboard an Aer Lingus flight to the states...
The honest realisation being missed here is that IF Ryr was to merge with fungus and create a super carrier to jump people through Ireland, they will be forced into a price corner that will still leave the Irish consumer higher and drier than they are today! Airfares for bookings from within Ireland will be artificially higher than abroad as a result of less competition and therefore less demand elasticity against the super carrier, and prices for those making the jump from HAHN (lets be realistic here too please) to NEWARK will be little different from where they are today...
ITS ECONOMIC FACT!
I agree open skies should be abolished, and in many ways its already happening slowly but surely... look at Zoom or Globespan...
The reality is the Americans are the ones holding the cards here... hence few other carriers except business class only suiters are making the bold leap into a heavily controlled market from the state side...
And the reality behind OLeary and Ryanair... welllllllll.......
He has made a highly profitable airline through illegal activities, tax evasion tricks, and lack of moral ethics in employee policies and practices... He is a bean counter who to date is getting away with breaking every rule in the book whilst squeezing people like one would blood from a stone... And when repurcussions finally come round to meet his actions, he throws a tantrum worse than my 4 year old Daughter!...
he has been lucky in the past, and smart in burying his misfortunes... history, it seems, is not so forgiven so as to forget...
Didnt our 'esteemed' leader recently hedge fuel at 74 dollars a barrel, only to see the price dip back to the 50s level 2 days later?
Didnt our 'foresightful' emporer wind our company in court both in Brussels with the big kids of the EU commission and the labour court in Ireland, one time almost ending up in Prison before he paid out a settlement to John Goss?
Didnt our 'generous' imperialist bring thousands of passengers difficulties in their journeys when his constant harassment and breach of contracts with handlers in Spain and now cabin crew in Italy finally led to Striking actions, with more such actions to come and the company having to concede defeat and give back what they promised plus more now?...
OLeary may have done wonders in the early years, no doubt... But he lost the plot and became arrogant...
its this arrogance which is driving our company into the pits, were getting a bad name, nobody likes us, and people even go out of their way financially to block our plans and operations!...
I dont need this... We dont need this... Ryanair could be great if it wasnt for this bloody fool!...
IF he was such a great leader, we would have seen this, realised this, and handled it with more tact and intelligence than his childish demeanors now allow him to display...
And before I get another rant of hot air up my blowhole, Leo, remember; It isnt lack of money that leads a company to become bankrupt...