Exit an ‘own-goal for Government’

THE opposition last night sought to portray Willie Walsh’s departure to British Airways as a major own-goal for the Government brought on by a failure to act decisively on the future of Aer Lingus.

Fine Gael transport spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell said Aer Lingus had not only lost the man who had turned the airline around, but had lost him to a major rival competing on crucial routes.

“British Airways and Aer Lingus compete on the busy Dublin-Heathrow route and when the open-skies policy comes through they will also be competing for the profitable US routes,” she said.