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UK: Aer Lingus wants coordinated sale with government

By  |  November 6, 2013

Aer Lingus CEO Christoph Mueller told reporters that ideally, a sell-off of two stakes of the company owned by the government and by rival Ryanair would happen simultaneously so as to find a majority acquirer.

The remarks were made shortly after the UK’s Competition Commission released its draft proposal requiring Ryanair to divest its nearly 30 percent share in Aer Lingus down to five percent. The International Monetary Fund has also called on the government to divest its own 25 percent share in the airline.

According to Mueller, it would be ideal and reasonable to combine those two stakes and find a single buyer.

The case of Aer Lingus ownership has dragged on for several years as competing airline Ryanair has attempted more than once to gain a majority ownership in Aer Lingus, a saga that instead resulted in the forced divesture of the shares.

Full content: Irish Examiner

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