Ryanair: We'll step in if Aer Lingus leaves Shannon

Ryanair has said it will provide three additional flights to London from Shannon if Aer Lingus proceeds with its plan to close the Shannon-Heathrow route.

Ryanair says the move will "ensure Shannon Airport’s capacity and traffic does not fall as a result of this Aer Lingus closure".

The new flights would include a fourth daily flight to London Stansted, a second daily flight to London Gatwick and a daily flight to London Luton.

Ryanair’s London services will therefore increase from four to seven flights daily if the move goes ahead.

Ryanair - which owns a 25% share of Aer Lingus - has also formally asked Aer Lingus to call an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to discuss the proposed Shannon-Heathrow pull-out.

In a statement today, Ryanair said that it would, if so requested by the Government, "be willing to vote its 25% shareholding in favour of the motion to retain Aer Lingus' existing profitable Shannon-Heathrow services.

"Alternatively the Government could ask Ryanair to abstain from voting, which would give the Government and the Employee Share Ownership Trust (ESOT) a majority at the EGM and allow them to save Shannon’s Heathrow services. On its own, Ryanair’s 25% stake will be insufficient to influence this decision.

"The trade unions, who between them own almost 20% of Aer Lingus, have already indicated that they would vote in favour of retaining Aer Lingus' Shannon-Heathrow services.

"Therefore all that is needed to save Aer Lingus' current Shannon-Heathrow services is for Bertie Ahern’s Government (acting as a 25% shareholder) to lift a finger and vote in favour of the motion at the EGM."