Madam, - If Gunter Snachs, CEO of a German wine-bottling conglomerate, or Jules Villiers, head of a French car assembly plant or Armano Felici, CEO and chief designer of an Italian Fashion house had launched a bid for Aer Lingus, all the professional advisers and politicians associated with its privatisation would be congratulating themselves on their wisdom and foresight.
Yet any of the above notional bidders could only justify a bid based on the complete reorganisation of the company, the stripping out of non-jobs, and the possible sale or re-assignment of valuable landing slots at Heathrow and JFK.
But when Europe's most successful aviation chief executive uses Europe's most successful short-haul airline to launch a bid, and when the CEO is Irish and his company is Irish-based, absolute blind panic sets in. The Government runs to Europe to block the bid on anti-competitive grounds. Aer Lingus pilots acquire more shares to attempt to scupper the bid and other employees use their pension funds for the same purpose.
In your edition of October 27th, Caroline Madden suggests that some commentators on the takeover saga "are hoping for a white knight to come galloping over the horizon - another bidder who will save Aer Lingus from Ryanair's clutches".
But Aer Lingus and its employees already have their "White Knight", though they cannot recognise him. Michael O'Leary will do exactly what any successful bidder for Aer Lingus would do: shed all non-jobs, reorganise the employment structure, improve efficiency dramatically and haul the airline into the real world. Given Mr O'Leary's record it is most likely that he will do it better than any other prospective bidder.
All Aer Lingus employees with real jobs and all shareholders should welcome his bid with open arms.
Shannon Airport is strategically located to provide an interface hub between transatlantic long-haul and trans-European short-haul routes and perhaps Ryanair may recognise an opportunity ignored by Aer Lingus for many years. - Yours, etc,
JOHN REIDY, Newtown Park, Castletroy, Limerick.