Ahern meets Shannon lobbying groups

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern yesterday got directly involved in the Shannon Airport crisis by holding a meeting with one of the leading groups opposing the axing of its Heathrow service.

And, in a separate development, Ryanair yesterday confirmed that it had acquired a further 4% stake in the airline, bringing its shareholding to almost 30%.

These new shares were acquired at, or less than, €2.45 a share, which lowers the average cost of Ryanair’s shares in Aer Lingus.