Management buyout of Aer Lingus not ruled out, says Brennan

THE Government has not ruled out a management buyout of the profitable State-owned airline Aer Lingus, Transport Minister Seamus Brennan said yesterday.

Mr Brennan said the Cabinet would make a decision on the future of the highly successful company in early autumn, after chief executive Willie Walsh recently proposed a buyout.

“You can’t rule it out. If the Government decides to take outside investment in the airline and recommend that to the Dáil, if we go that road, and that is an if. We then have to decide how to do it,” Mr Brennan said.