Business groups 'could get say in Aer Lingus slots at Heathrow'

Business groups in Cork and Shannon could have a say in the future of the Aer Lingus Heathrow slots.

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The group pledged yesterday not to sell the slots without Government approval for a minimum of five years.

IAG is looking to buy the Government's stake in Aer Lingus, as part of a deal worth an estimated €1.4bn.

The move is being discussed by the Dáil's Transport Committee today.

“We have IBEC with us, the Irish Hotels Federation, we have the IDA, we have Enterprise Ireland and the Restaurants Association,” said Committee chairman John O'Mahony..

“The process here is ongoing, with the new developments and guarantees being given and so on, it’ll be interesting to hear form all of these bodies who are the stakeholders really, and we want to know what their views are.”

Fianna Fáil is rejecting assurances from IAG that it will keep the Irish routes at Heathrow, however.

The party's Transport spokesperson Timmy Dooley says the government has mismanaged its shareholding in Aer Lingus by inviting speculators to bid for the airline:

“It has allowed Ryanair to come forward with a number of bids and now it has encouraged IAG to come forward, believing that the Government were interested in selling, based on timing and share value, rather than the key aspect of connectivity and the protection of jobs,” he said.

“I think the Government have, for quite some time now, the wrong signals to the marketplace which has resulted in what I can only describe as a relatively hostile bid.”