@320
that's an interesting story, if true. The thing that strikes me about it are the parallels with the Irish Continental Group (Irish Ferries) controversy, where ICG made Irish staff redundant and replaced them with lower cost foreign labour (they have also re-flagged a ship or two).
I suspect that the management would find it extremely difficult to undertake the suggested course of action with 25% share ownership by the Irish State, 10% by the Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT) and whatever other combined holdings by Pilots and other staff members. Not to mention David Begg (the chief executive of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions) on the board. And then there is a certain other large share holder FoR whom a more "cost competitive" Aer Lingus would be less than welcome.
JAS