Fianna Fáil Senator and Dublin Spokesperson, Darragh O’Brien, has welcomed the announcement that the proposed takeover of Aer Lingus by Ryanair has been refused by the European Commission.
Ryanair today revealed that the European Commission has confirmed to them that its bid for Aer Lingus will be rejected.
“Today’s announcement is welcome news for Irish customers,” said Senator O’Brien.
“It is vitally important that Irish customers have competition and choice when they come to decide their airline and routes.
“As an island nation, Ireland needs to have healthy competition and choice for airline passengers, this would be limited if there was only one option to choose from. The European Commission decision seems to be the correct one and I believe it will benefit the industry here in the long-run.
“This is not an attempt to downplay the role or significance of Ryanair in Ireland. Ryanair knows that it is a valued business in this country, but it should also know that the principles of competition upon which it succeeded need to be protected.”