Whatever about Aer Lingus surviving or not surviving, to say that there cost per seat is the same as Ryanair\EasyJet is deluded.
Apples and pears. Aer Lingus are both a domestic and transatlantic operator, offering business class on its American routes. Of course the cost per seat is not the same. The terms and conditions of the new base will be very competitive with the contracts being offered to staff against other operators in the same base. They are not competing with Ryanair in Gatwick anyway, apart from the Dublin route which they serve now, which will now be on a codeshare with BA anyway. It's a bit like O Learys claim about the average fair in EI against that in Ryanair. He includes the cost of a business class transatlantic seat when calculating the average fare in Aer Lingus as against his European/North Africa only operation in Ryanair. Of course the average fare will be less regardless of all other associated costs. Again apples and pears, otherwise known as creative accounting (spin).