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Ireland: Aer Lingus fends off British Airways takeover for second time

By  |  January 11, 2015

Ireland’s Aer Lingus has reportedly rejected British Airways’ second attempt to acquire the company.

BA offered about $1.5 billion for the airline late last month, BA-owned IAG said in a statement, adding that it had been BA’s second try at striking a deal. Aer Lingus declined to comment on the reports, however.

British Airways’ pursuit of the Irish carrier follows a years-long struggle for UK airline Ryanair to acquire Aer Lingus; those plans were eventually thwarted by regulators, which ordered Ryanair to reduce its stake in Aer Lingus to about just 5 percent.

Experts say IAG would likely need to divest some Aer Lingus airport slots at Heathrow should it wish to successfully acquire the airline. Meanwhile, Ryanair continues to fight regulators’ ruling on its ownership in Aer Lingus, and reports say a decision on its appeal could be made available as early as this week.

Full Content: Independent.ie

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