IAG willing to legally commit to Aer Lingus connections
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Willie Walsh has proposed legally-binding commitments to secure Aer Lingus’ Irish flight connections as his International Airlines Group (IAG) continues its bid to buy the carrier.
The British Airways parent company has offered the commitments to go ‘well beyond the protections currently available to the government’ and support the long-term future of the Irish airline.
Its commitments include not selling Aer Lingus’ 23 slot pairings at London Heathrow including to other IAG airlines; keeping the Aer Lingus name and head office in Ireland and a further commitment to operate the slots on Irish routes for five years.
Walsh hopes the latest approach will secure the support of the Irish government after politicians raised concern over the future of connections through Ireland should the British Airways parent take over Aer Lingus.
“We are committed to maintaining and strengthening Aer Lingus. We want to develop air services that ensure Ireland’s connectivity is enhanced. In seeking the support of the Irish government, we propose to offer it legally binding commitments that go well beyond the protections currently available to it. These commitments would give the Irish government an important role that they do not have today in securing the future of Aer Lingus,” said Walsh.
IAG also outlined that if it joined the group Aer Lingus would join the oneworld alliance and enter the joint business that IAG operates over the North Atlantic with American Airlines.
Any deal would be subject to Irish takeover rules and EU competition regulators.
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