Kiddo,
I hate to tell you this but although I am no longer employed my Aer Lingus I am far more aware of this "exercise" (which is how it is considered by many in Aer Lingus head office) then you could ever be.
It has also been whispered that the new CEO who joined the company just a few months ago is not exactly warming to this venture. Already a scary prospect for those like you wishing to apply for this role!
I appreciate you trying to remain upbeat about this but you must also see it for what it really is. It is not exactly in Aer Lingus best interests to make this venture work. As a stand alone entity so seperated from the main Aer Lingus operation yes of course it is important to remain profitable but in the grand scheme of things....It could turn into a massive white elephant! Just look at BA and its OpenSkies farce!
And USD17K is not exactly an amazing salary. I can assure you that those based in ROI are living a hell of a lot better off then you could! It is a pure example that there really are desperate people out there willing to work for peanuts when infact they are probably worth far more!!!!