The Competition Commission has extended its investigation into Ryanair’s minority shareholding in Aer Lingus by eight weeks until September 5.
The Commission said it still expects to issue its final report in August, however it has given itself additional time to consider comments received in response to its provisional findings that Ryanair’s 30% stake in Aer Lingus could weaken its rival.
On hearing of the extension, Ryanair said it believed it demonstrated that the Competition Commission had found no evidence of any influence or lessening of competition arising from its six-and-a-half year stake in Aer Lingus.
Spokesman Robin Kiely said: "Ryanair believes that this extension is a ruse by the UKCC to try to invent new concerns or strengthen its threadbare case against Ryanair’s six-and-a-half year old minority stake under which Ryanair clearly has had no material influence over Aer Lingus and which has not led to a "lessening" but rather an "intensification" of competition between Ryanair and Aer Lingus."
