Airline ‘does not want to grow’

RYANAIR boss Michael O’Leary has claimed a takeover of Aer Lingus by his airline would not only have stopped the 670 job cuts announced on Wednesday but would also have created 1,000 new posts at the former national airline.

“If you go back to our offer back in December, we offered both the Government and the unions who control Aer Lingus a guarantee that we would double the size of Aer Lingus’ shorthaul fleet which would result in 1,000 new jobs being created for cabin crew, pilots and engineers,” he said. “As usual they don’t want to see growth and they rejected that offer. What you have seen yesterday (Wednesday) is what you get when a company like Aer Lingus is run and controlled by the Government and trade unions. 670 staff get the sack and all the rest face pay and pension cuts.”

Mr O’Leary claimed Aer Lingus needed to expand its way through the recession in order to survive.