Aer Lingus management crisis won’t ‘bounce’ Government into decision

NOBODY is going to bounce the Government into making decision on the future of Aer Lingus, Enterprise Trade and Employment Minister Micheál Martin declared last night.

Mr Martin made his comments in the wake of the announcement that three Aer Lingus managers including the chief executive, Willie Walsh, are resigning and will leave the airline next May.

Mr Martin stressed that the issue was being handled by Transport Minister Martin Cullen, who is to meet Aer Lingus chairman John Sharman in the coming days to discuss appointing a new senior management team at the state-owned airline.

Chief operations officer Seamus Kearney and chief financial officer Brian Dunne will also leave the airline next year.

Minister Martin said there were a wide range of policy and strategic considerations to be taken into account.

“Ultimately Government has to decide on these issues and we will not be bounced into making a decision on Aer Lingus,” he said.

Mr Martin praised the role played by Willie Walsh in turning Aer Lingus around in the wake of 9/11 and acknowledged that the issue of expanding the airline’s fleet will be a matter to be addressed by the Government.

He said the company will not collapse overnight following the resignations but said that it is important that the vacancies are filled as quickly as possible.

“One way or another the issue of funding will have to be resolved,” he said.