O'Leary pens letter to Aer Lingus requesting 'clarification'

Ryanair boss Micheal O'Leary has written a letter to Aer Lingus chairman Colm Barrington requesting clarification on a number of comments and claims made by Aer Lingus group management following the launch of Ryanair's recent merger offer.

Ìn the letter O'Leary wrote: "We (Ryanair), as a large shareholder, are concerned about some of these apparently contradictory claims and forecasts."

The letter listed a number of issues, -including Aer Lingus' elimination of long-haul fuel surcharges, the appointment of a defence team by Aer Lingus to repel Ryanair's bid and the value of Aer Lingus' pension schemes in light of the recent collapse in Irish pension scheme valuations - requesting clarification from Aer Lingus on how these would affect profits for 2008 and 2009.

Mr O'Leary also called on Barrington to explain "apparent contradictions" between Aer Lingus' most recent interim statement, dated November 11, in which the company announced capacity reductions on its long haul and short haul network, and its recent statements of a campaign of growth in 2009.