The European Commission (EC) on Wednesday blocked Ryanair’s third Aer Lingus takeover attempt. Competition commissioner Neelie Kroes said the takeover would “have led to dramatically reduced choice for consumers and, as a result, the likelihood of lower quality and higher fares. They were in particular not capable of ensuring that other airlines would enter the market on a sufficient scale to compete effectively with the merged airline.” Aer Lingus welcomed the decision. “Aer Lingus’ position from the outset has been […]

Categories: Airlines • Tags: Aer Lingus, Ryanair

The European Commission intends to block Ryanair’s proposed takeover of Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus, the low-cost carrier announced on 12 February. Its lawyers have been instructed to appeal any prohibition order in the European Courts. “Ryanair…was notified this morning, 12 February, at a state-of-play meeting with the EU Commission that the EU Commission intends to prohibit Ryanair’s offer for Aer Lingus,” the airline confirms. It says the decision is “clearly a political one” designed to protect the “narrow, vested […]

Categories: Airlines • Tags: Aer Lingus, Ryanair