Ryanair is in the second round of bidders to take over loss-making Cyprus Airways, chief executive Michael O’Leary said yesterday.

Ryanair has today welcomed the announcement by IAG/Iberia that it intends to acquire Vueling, comparing it to its own bid for Aer Lingus.

European regulators are reportedly preparing to object to Ryanair’s proposed €694m takeover of Aer Lingus.

Ryanair has announced a 10% jump in profit for the first half of the year to €596m.

Greece’s state sector shut down today as civil servants walked off the job in a 24-hour strike, demanding the government take back stringent austerity measures designed to pull the country out of a debt crisis.