Aer Lingus flotation - ‘Open skies’ key to future of airline

Against a background of international wariness triggered by the recent terror threat, which reduced airports to chaos, coupled with increasing oil prices, the Government and Aer Lingus announced the company’s flotation yesterday.

At home, privatising the national airline is adamantly opposed by the country’s biggest trade union, SIPTU, believing it to be bad value for the taxpayers’ money, and therefore for staff who own 15% of the company.

About two hours before the announcement, SIPTU had called on the intervention of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to stop it happening.