Posted on December 18, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

The Irish government has told Aer lingus that unless it re-instates a Shannon to Heathrow service, there will be substantially more support among TDs for the Ryanair takeover bid. 

TDs from the Shannon region have said there is a lot of anger about the withdrawl.

Commenting on the threat, Aer Lingus CEO Dermot Mannion said the airline would be issuing its defence document on the Ryanair bid in a few days.

Earlier today, Chief Executive Michael O’ Leary told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport that the conditions were right for Ryanair to buy Aer Lingus.

O’ Leary said that under the deal he was proposing, the government would get control of the Heathrow slots, would recognise the unions and would respect the procedures already in place.