Aer Lingus chief defends moves on child flights

SECURITY concerns are the only reason for the Aer Lingus decision to no longer cater for children travelling alone, the airline's chief executive said yesterday.

Willie Walsh faced a barrage of criticism over the controversial decision announced last week. But he insisted to the Oireachtas Transport Committee that money was not an issue in the decision which had been entirely motivated by security concerns heightened by the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington in 2001.

Fine Gael Senator Fergal Browne of Carlow said he could not accept the Aer Lingus argument and believed it was motivated by cutbacks. "Will this create a dangerous precedent for elderly and disabled people who need assistance boarding planes?" the senator asked.