‘BA likely buyer’ of Aer Lingus stake

BRITISH Airways would be the most likely buyer of the Government’s 25% stake in Aer Lingus, the Irish airline’s largest shareholder Ryanair said yesterday.

BA, which formed the International Airlines Group (IAG) when it merged with Spain’s Iberia last year, has not expressed interest in buying the Aer Lingus stake, which the Government is considering selling.

“It is far more likely that there will be a trade buyer. I think the obvious trade buyer would be BA or IAG,” Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary told journalists at the company’s annual general meeting.