Aer Lingus cargo cuts ‘short-sighted’

THE Government must intervene to stop Aer Lingus closing down its short-haul cargo operations, the group representing Irish exporters said yesterday.

The Irish Exporters Association (IEA) said Aer Lingus’s plans would be bad for exporters and would have “serious and damaging effects on Ireland’s future export growth”.

IEA chief executive John Whelan called on the Government to overrule Aer Lingus management in the interest of the Irish economy. “This planned major reduction of a vital export platform is very short-sighted, and will reduce the competitiveness of high-value hi-tech exporters out of Ireland,” he said.