Sir, - Who are these EU people who would prevent the Irish from supporting their national airline? They are the Commission, the civil service, the paid servants whose authority comes from the Council of Ministers. In other words, Mrs O'Rourke and her colleagues can tell them what to do, and should. As an island community greatly dependent on US trade and tourists we need a viable, healthy Aer Lingus. Some of your correspondents would have us depend on foreign airlines; but on a whim those could abandon us and have often done so.
I had the great privilege of working for Aer Lingus for over 40 years, during which time we built it up to be one of the great airlines, respected at aviation meetings all over the world, and at very little cost to the taxpayer. Did you realise, sir, that from its foundation in 1936 to the day I left in 1992, the shareholders, the people of Ireland, had not invested enough in their airline to buy one jumbo jet? And in all that time look at the benefit to the country in terms of tourists, business travel and cargo, not to mention prestige. I still remember the glow of pride as a Boeing 747 with a shamrock on the tail pulled into the apron on "far foreign fields" - Nairobi, Singapore, Sydney. Oh yes.
As for competition, we "met it and bet it". We took on the great Pan Am and TWA and saw them off. On short haul we took on British Midland and countless British airlines. Oddly enough, I never regarded Ryanair as real competition - it is a different product. We always had "no-frills" air services; they used to be called "charters". I think that the airline started by my ex-colleague and friend (from whom I once bought a second-hand car) is one of which we Irish can also be proud, but it could not replace Aer Lingus. And can we please stop using the phrase "State aid" for an investment by shareholders in their own company? So, get in there Minister; tell them who is boss. - Yours, etc.,
W.J. Murphy, Malahide, Co Dublin.