AER LINGUS chief executive Dermot Mannion saw his pay packet fly through the €1 million barrier last year.

THE top civil servant at the Department of Transport has claimed she was “extremely disappointed” Aer Lingus failed to take on board the Government’s concerns that the opening of the airline’s Belfast base would lead to the cancellation of its Shannon-Heathrow service.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares is down almost 99 points on opening and is currently trading at 6870.39 points.

Aer Lingus will today lodge its formal appeal with an EU court as part of the legal process towards removing Ryanair from its shareholder register.

DEPARTMENT of Transport secretary general Julie O’Neill will be asked to appear before a Dáil committee to answer questions about her department’s handling of Shannon Airport’s loss of its Heathrow slots, it has emerged.

EMBATTLED Transport Minister Noel Dempsey last night insisted there was nothing wrong with his key official heading an investigation into her own failure to inform him of the looming Shannon crisis.

It was time to move on from the fall-out over Aer Lingus’s controversial cutbacks at Shannon, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey said today.

The mayors of the Mid-West today called for thousands of people to join a weekend rally in the continuing battle to save the vital Shannon-Heathrow air link.

There is confusion this morning surrounding claims that Aer Lingus told the Government about a possible deal with Aer Arann to safeguard Shannon-Heathrow services.

ON MAY 22, a story appeared in the business section of the Belfast newspaper The Irish News that went almost unnoticed in the South.

Why was Transport Minister Noel Dempsey not informed of the note on Aer Lingus? asks Political Editor Harry McGee.

RYANAIR has threatened to take Aer Lingus to court over its decision to reject Ryanair’s request for an extraordinary general meeting over the pull-out from the Shannon-Heathrow route.

THE Cabinet’s response to the Aer Lingus crisis, while being very welcome, falls far short of what is required to diffuse the situation, and suggests that it has failed to grasp the contradiction in its position and the damage it is causing.

FIANNA FÁIL councillors in Clare have expressed anger and frustration at what they claim was the “total disregard” shown to them by Aer Lingus executives.

AER Lingus chief executive Dermot Mannion yesterday stood defiant on the transfer of Heathrow slots to Belfast despite a series of meetings with the Shannon Airport lobby.

DEFENCE Minister Willie O’Dea said yesterday he believes Aer Lingus is still for turning on the Shannon Heathrow crisis.

ACCUSTOMED to getting his own way in things, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary will find it hard to swallow the European Commission’s decision to block his takeover of Aer Lingus.

Low-cost airline Ryanair turned up the pressure on takeover target Aer Lingus by taking its shareholding in its Irish rival to more than 25% today.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has sold shares in the budget airline worth almost €25m, it was announced today.

Aer Lingus is not afraid of Michael O’Leary becoming a troublesome shareholder at future AGMs if his daring takeover bid fails, the airline said today.

Shares in Aer Lingus were unchanged this morning at €2.86 after it formally urged shareholders not to sell out to a rival operator.

Newly-privatised airline Aer Lingus today formally urged shareholders not to sell out to a rival operator.

Aer Lingus has again rejected Ryanair's takeover offer of €2.80 per share, which was formally published today.

IT is fascinating to watch the posturing about Ryanair’s bid for Aer Lingus.

IT is fascinating to watch the posturing about Ryanair’s bid for Aer Lingus.

RYANAIR is to press ahead with its €1.4 billion hostile takeover of Aer Lingus despite a rejection of its offer.

Aer Lingus this evening formally rejected Ryanair's takeover bid.

The Government today insisted it was right to privatise Aer Lingus despite the shock takeover bid by Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary.

The board of Aer Lingus has told shareholders that it had unanimously rejected the offer from Ryanair.

AER LINGUS directors have purchased their first shares in the newly privatised carrier.

The Government today announced its intention to float Aer Lingus on the Dublin and London stock exchanges.

The Irish government today announced its intention to float state airline, Aer Lingus, on the Dublin and London stock exchanges.

A TRADE union representing staff at Aer Lingus has called for an independent investigation into the alleged bullying culture at the national airline.

The new chief executive of Aer Lingus is likely to open up new long-haul routes to the US, Asia and the Middle East to grow the national airline.

AER LINGUS chairman John Sharman yesterday refused to condemn a leaked document containing proposals to force staff to accept redundancy, saying the measures had never become company policy.

The leaking of a controversial Aer Lingus management document was deliberately designed to cause strife between staff and the airline, it was claimed today.

Aer Lingus chairman John Sharman has insisted the measures outlined in a leaked memo were never approved by the company's board of directors.

Fianna Fáil TD Jim Glennon has called for the sacking of Aer Lingus managers responsible for drawing up the controversial memo leaked earlier this month.

Aer Lingus chairman John Sharman is due face questions from the Oireachtas Transport Committee today about the company's attitude towards its workers.

SOME eight members of the Aer Lingus management team were involved in preparing the controversial ‘push’ document designed to reduce staff numbers last year.

Aer Lingus profits were soaring when the controversial plan to push staff out was drawn up, writes Paul O’Brien.

The fallout from a “sinister” Aer Lingus staff memo continued tonight after after a Government Chief Whip described the national airline’s tactics as “despicable and cruel“.

Aer Lingus will today reassure staff over the leaked memo which outlined “tactics” to force voluntary redundancies as part of a cost-cutting plan.

The chairman of Aer Lingus has said he would like to see the general public owning a substantial shareholding in the state airline.