HE MIGHT not have been the first choice, but the appointment of 40-year aviation veteran Colm Barrington as Aer Lingus's new chairman should please the market. It should also please the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), despite the fact that Barrington will be stepping down from the board of the airport manager.

It is understood that feelers were put out to DAA chairman Gary McGann earlier this year about the possibility of approaching Barrington about the Aer Lingus role.

The Aer Lingus recruitment process has been largely driven by key board member Seán Fitzpatrick, McGann's chairman at Smurfit Kappa.

Having been rebuffed by wealthy financier Dermot Desmond, Fitzpatrick and Aer Lingus last week moved to secure Barrington for the high-profile role. When news broke of Barrington's appointment on Wednesday, McGann issued a statement thanking him for his contribution to the DAA board since 2004 and wished him success in his new role.

He will no doubt be hoping the two companies can forge a closer business relationship.

Aer Lingus is the DAA's second biggest airline customer, after Ryanair. The DAA is hoping to persuade the company to become the anchor of its new Terminal 2, which is due to open in 2010 and has been built with one eye on expanding long-haul services from Dublin. Negotiations have yet to begin in earnest.

Barrington will no doubt drive a hard bargain, but the relationships built over the past four years could help land a mutually agreeable deal.