Airlines
Ireland Accepts IAG Bid for Aer Lingus
Ryanair yet to weigh in
Aer Lingus Airbus A320s operate at slot-controlled London Heathrow Airport. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by Aero Icarus)
Aer Lingus Airbus A320s operate at slot-controlled London Heathrow Airport. (Photo: Flickr: Creative Commons (BY-SA) by Aero Icarus)

The Irish government has accepted a cash offer from British Airways parent International Consolidated Airlines Group for its 25-percent stake in Aer Lingus, IAG announced Tuesday. However, the €1.4 billion offer remains subject to acceptance by 29.8-percent shareholder Ryanair, which has yet to indicate whether or not it will block the deal. In a nod to conditions placed on the sale by the government, IAG said it has agreed that Aer Lingus would retain all its existing slots at London Heathrow Airport. It also committed to maintaining Aer Lingus’s current daily winter and summer scheduled frequencies between London Heathrow and Dublin, Cork and Shannon for at least seven years after the acquisition.