Strict aviation laws could deter Aer Lingus buyers

THE sale of Aer Lingus is unlikely to attract huge interest from other airlines because of strict aviation laws, according to experts.

David Learmount, operations editor with Flight International Magazine, said bilateral aviation agreements will not permit an airline such as British Airways to buy Aer Lingus and then fly to the US from here.

These Stone-Age agreements mean that Aer Lingus needs at least 51% Irish ownership to operate flights from the country to the USA,” he said.