Skift Take
Ryanair faces an uphill battle to take over the rest of Aer Lingus given the Irish government's opposition so far, and the long and the short (haul) of it is that Michael O'Leary is going to have to give up a lot if he's going to get this deal approved.
Ryanair Holdings Plc offered to surrender half of Aer Lingus Group Plc’s short-haul business as it seeks European Union approval to buy its Irish rival, according to two people familiar with the negotiations.
Ryanair submitted its latest concessions to the European Commission last week and they were sent to competitors and customers for comments yesterday, said the people who asked not to be identified because the talks are private. Some 43 routes would go to Flybe Group Plc, with International Consolidated Airlines Group Plc’s British Airways taking three using London’s Heathrow airport, the people said.
Europe’s biggest discount airline owns about 30 percent of Aer Lingus and in June renewed an attempt to buy the rest. The EU blocked a take
