Ryanair press conference at Shannon this morning
Ryanair: We'll step in if Aer Lingus leaves Shannon
14/08/2007 - 11:57:13
Ryanair has said it will provide three additional flights to London from Shannon if Aer Lingus proceeds with its plan to close the Shannon-Heathrow route.
Ryanair says the move will "ensure Shannon Airport’s capacity and traffic does not fall as a result of this Aer Lingus closure".
The new flights would include a fourth daily flight to London Stansted, a second daily flight to London Gatwick and a daily flight to London Luton.
Ryanair’s London services will therefore increase from four to seven flights daily if the move goes ahead.
Ryanair - which owns a 25% share of Aer Lingus - has also formally asked Aer Lingus to call an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to discuss the proposed Shannon-Heathrow pull-out.
In a statement today, Ryanair said that it would, if so requested by the Government, "be willing to vote its 25% shareholding in favour of the motion to retain Aer Lingus' existing profitable Shannon-Heathrow services.
"Alternatively the Government could ask Ryanair to abstain from voting, which would give the Government and the Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT) a majority at the EGM and allow them to save Shannon’s Heathrow services. On its own, Ryanair’s 25% stake will be insufficient to influence this decision.
"The trade unions, who between them own almost 20% of Aer Lingus, have already indicated that they would vote in favour of retaining Aer Lingus' Shannon-Heathrow services.
"Therefore all that is needed to save Aer Lingus' current Shannon-Heathrow services is for Bertie Ahern’s Government (acting as a 25% shareholder) to lift a finger and vote in favour of the motion at the EGM."