Aer Lingus boss’s prediction for the industry
March 13, 2009Half of all European airlines will not be able to survive the recession, Aer Lingus has reportedly predicted.
According to The Irish Independent, chief executive Dermot Mannion has suggested that 15 of Europe's 30 airlines will go out of business as a result of the economic downturn.
Mannion made his comments in response to the suggestion made by Ryanair that there could one day be only three or four European airlines in operation.
The newspaper said that Mannion made his assertion during a meeting on December 11 last year with Aer Lingus chairman Colm Barrington, Irish transport minister Noel Dempsey and other officials from the department.
It explained that it had seen the minutes of the meeting after obtaining them through the Freedom of Information Act.
Ryanair made an offer for Aer Lingus on December 1, 2008 but the offer was rejected the following month.
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