Ryanair has said it remains "open to offers" for its near 30% stake in Aer Lingus, but added that it has not been approached by the owner of British Airways, IAG, as yet regarding its shareholding.

Air accident investigators in Britain have launched a probe into an accident at East Midlands Airport that involved an Irish cargo aircraft.

A mother who lost her only child when an Air France plane crashed in what is regarded as one of the world’s worst aviation disasters has been awarded almost €68,000 by the High Court.

Ryanair is confident it can allay competition concerns about its latest bid for rival Aer Lingus, its CEO Michael O’Leary yesterday said, adding the budget airline was also seeking no more than a 25% stake in Stansted Airport.

AER Lingus has been asked to “come clean” and end speculation over the future of its operation at Shannon Airport amid fears that it will cut as many as three short-haul routes and suspend its transatlantic operation for the winter.

PASSENGER numbers at Aer Lingus plunged by just over 25% last month as travel was hit by the adverse weather conditions.

FREEZING temperatures and snowstorms killed 12 more people and caused travel chaos across northern Europe yesterday as some of the worst floods in a century devastated parts of the Balkans.

Aer Lingus today announced a new three times weekly service between Shannon and Paris Charles de Gaulle, to begin on December 17 next.

RYANAIR hopes the Government’s financial woes will help the low-cost carrier finally seal a takeover of Aer Lingus, Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has told a German newspaper.

RYANAIR is looking at opening routes to all major European airports bar the top three as slowing growth prompts the region’s topdiscount carrier to modify a strategy based on flying only to less-costly terminals.

MASS flight cancellations heaped fresh misery on European travellers yesterday, as the freezing weather, which caused many deaths, brought chaos to Christmas holiday plans.

Shannon Airport has expressed its regret over the announcement today by CityJet/Air France that it is to cease services from Shannon to Paris with effect from October 24.

AER LINGUS should prepare itself for a fight to reclaim its status in the mid-west as the business- traveller’s airline after it abandoned the region in 2007.

British Airways (BA) is currently the worst national carrier in Europe for cancellations, it was claimed today.

Almost 200 Irish holidaymakers returned home safely tonight after their flight from Spain was delayed and later diverted over safety concerns.

Competition chiefs are expected to pave the way for a major shake-up of the ownership of some of the UK's biggest airports.

A new era began for Shannon Airport today as the first City Jet service to Paris took off.

BUSINESS interests in the Shannon region have said they will put their full weight behind the Cityjet service to Paris and prove Aer Lingus was wrong to pull its Shannon to Heathrow flights.

IS today the last flight? one man asked a woman at the check-in desk before the 7.40am flight to Heathrow on Friday.

The final Aer Lingus flight to Heathrow will leave Shannon on Sunday.

A FAINT flicker of connectivity yesterday returned to Shannon Airport to ignite new hopes for business groups in the mid-west.

CityJet and Air France are to start twice-daily flights from Shannon to Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport on February 4.

IF the announcement by Aer Lingus that it is ending its Shannon-Heathrow service from next year is genuine, and is not a dangerous and cynical negotiation ploy on behalf of the national carrier, then the consequences for the Shannon region and the entire west of Ireland will be devastating.

CONTINENTAL Airlines will upgrade the daily nonstop service from Dublin to New York (Newark) when they introduce a new generation Boeing 767-200ER aircraft.

Portsmouth defender Sol Campbell was at the centre of an airport drama when his plane overran the runway and ended on the grass verge.

The European Union’s Court of Justice today ruled against a complaint filed by easyJet regarding the EU antitrust approval of the 2004 merger between Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Arlines.

IRELAND escaped lightly from great blasts of snow, ice and freezing temperatures that wrought havoc across Britain and much of Europe and the US yesterday.

Airlines British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and bmi have joined forces to call on the British government to approve a third runway at Heathrow, it was announced today.

Unions reacted with fury and the threat of legal action today to news that 400 jobs and 12 routes are to be cut at budget airline Buzz.