O’Brien increases Aer Lingus stake

BILLIONAIRE Denis O’Brien raised his stake in Aer Lingus Group, Ireland’s second- largest airline, to 2.28% from 2.09% after buying an additional one million shares.

He paid €2.50 a share, according to a filing distributed yesterday.

Mr O’Brien, the largest individual investor in the carrier, opposes the €1.48 billion-euro takeover offer from Ryanair.

“I think it would be a very bad thing for the Irish economy to have Ryanair buy the company,” he said on April 27 in Dublin.