Aer Lingus Heathrow assets attractive to IAG

Aer Lingus’s strong trans-atlantic links and Heathrow slots make it an attractive proposition for IAG which had an initial offer rebuffed on Thursday.

The board of the former state carrier rejected IAG’s offer on the grounds that it did not, in their opinion, accurately reflect the value of the airline and its “attractive prospects”.

With Heathrow full, the majority of IAG’s growth in the coming five to six years is likely to come through its Spanish airlines, Iberia and Vueling, rather than from its flagship carrier, British Airways (BA).