Airline Travel News says that Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has slammed the European Commission’s plan to veto the budget airline’s attempt to take over Aer Lingus.
O’Leary claims the move is politically motivated and one that will be made to appease politicians in Dublin and the Ryanair boss says he will appeal against the expected decision at the EU’s Court of First Instance.
He says “This decision is politically motivated, designed to appease the narrow interests of the Irish government, which was the only party, other than Aer Lingus itself, to object to the merger,” O’Leary told media sources.
“The decision is manifestly in error since it is based on the Commission’s inaccurate claim that there are barriers to entry at Dublin Airport,” he said.
The European Commission denies it is influenced by political pressure over the deal.
Ryanair held a Press Conference in Brussels to respond to the recent European Commission leaks indicating that Ryanair’s offer for Aer Lingus will be prohibited.
Ryanair expects this prohibition decision to be announced by DG Competition over the coming week.
Report by The Mole
