BMI may be for sale

The Press Association: Airline BMI 'for sale' after losses

which might scupper the "just buy EI and rip off the slots" option being mooted by those who see BA as a suitor (the same argument is being used for BD, but I doubt that would pass UK competition authorities).

IMHO, EI and BD as a pairing might work, but would require quite a bit of integration (Wasn't there a rumour that EI management looked at a merger prior to the floatation or am I imagining that?).

JAS

Aer Lingus will also operate charter flights from DUB - Agadir this winter after they have dropped there scheduled winter service.

I do not understand why anyone can even speculate that IAG might be interested in buying into EI. First EI's dominant business is that of a regional airline carrying O&D traffic between Dublin and major European cities. That is of little interest to a large European airline interested in network opportunities. Some of EI's traffic into LHR might be of interest to IAG.
Second EI's financial record is at best mediocre. In such a situation how can any IAG investment into such a carrier possibly be the best use of any investment funds they might have available?
Third IMHO no sound business case can be made for investing into EI while they have such a massive pension defecit. IMHO in order for the Irish government to sell their present stake in this very weak business that is close to being a walking corpse they must make up the pension defecit first.If they do that they will make a loss of about £300 million euros on the sale of their shares.
Fourth no other shareholder has the willingness to make up that defecit. RYR and the staff holdings will certianly not do that.
Fifth. Operations through DUB are horrendously expensive. NO ONE WILL BE INTERESTED IN BUYING EVEN ONE SHARE IN EI until the Irish government cuts the cost of flying through DUB.
Sixth why should anyone buy into such a company when their immediate competitor is both the largest passenger volume airline in Europe and the most ruthless competitor? To expect any such investment is like asking a mouse why it mignt like sleep next to an elephant that can crush it at any moment?

IMHO, stop using IMHO. But imho the situation isn't as bad as you make out, after all BA only operate from one main hub, just like aer lingus. Thats wad iags business model is based upon.

Aer Lingus due to have Wi-Fi on A330 fleet and pre order hot food meals in 2012. They also expect to have more partnership agreements.

In a trading update today.
Passenger numbers up 1.4% in key summer months and yields up 4.6% in July and August. Ancillary revenue up 5.1% and expect further growth next year.

Aer Lingus CEO wants the 25% stake sold to a institutional investor and not a airline group.

CEO also said that EI want to buy more slots at LHR. They already dropped the fourth daily BFS - LHR flight for 2012 and plan to use it from DUB but they want more slots to operate more LHR flights. Its about 13 flights daily now.

If IE had wanted extra LHR slots they have been recently available and IE didn't buy them (Or couldn't afford them).

Didn't EI lease some LHR pairs to CO on a three year deal in 2008?

JAS

EI/UA IAD - MAD drops to 4 weekly this winter from daily last winter.

Aer Lingus is in the top 5 airlines in the world for best economy airline. The only European airline in the top 5. Guardian travel awards 2011.

Travel Awards 2011 winners | Travel | guardian.co.uk

September passengers up 2.9%
LF increased.
EI regional up 44.9%

Aer Lingus September passenger numbers rise - RT News

So the aircraft will be sitting on the ground for 3 days a week at one end or another? Or will it be positioning back and forth into the rest of the network through DUB or JFK?

@CaptJ: EI have over E300M available in their cash pile, I think they could have bought slots if they wanted them.

That cash pile disappears fast when you make losses and pay employees taxes.

Another one of the A319 arrived from MAD this evening. (EI-ETG)

Etihad in talks to buy Aer Lingus stake - FT.com

Aer Lingus are the 4th largest holder of Heathrow landing slots.

How many do they have and did the sell or lease Continental slots in 2008. What is the current value of those slots at the moment?

Credit Suisse reckon that BA paid over 100M Euro for the 6 BMI slots they bought last month.

I think Aer Lingus "own" 23 slots.

Tranpost Ministor said today that:

The government can say what they like and try and insert whatever clauses they want but once the shares are sold they lose all control over those slots. Those statements and sentiments are just for publicity sake.

500 quid fares to London will be back, only this time you won't be flying to LHR as all of the slots will be used for sunnier climes. And don't think that someone like BMI will hop onto the route as IAG will have taken their slots and will have very little interest in flying a 320 into Ireland when there are much more profitable routes on offer.

Aer Lingus announced today that it will add an extra 14 weekly flights each way between DUB - LGW from 30 Oct. This will bring the service to 6 daily flights up from 4 daily last winter.