Who owns Aer Lingus ?

Almaviva

Can anyone give me a short explanation on the following:

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2013/0726/464810-ryanair-aer-lingus/

I understand 'Aer Lingus' is a company with shareholders, among them; Ryanair, the Irish govt, AL emplyees, and traded shares owned by others.

So what is the business above about ? Why and how can Aer Lingus the company have anything to do with who owns it - and spend huge amounts of its (ie. shareholders, i.e. Ryanair's included) money to try to influence that. Is it not their job simply to operate the airline and not be involved in who will own them ? Is it not for the owners and any other potential owners alone to fight over who will own it ?

Peterdalkey

It has long been a dilemma to know if public companies are really run for the benefit of the shareholders, All the more so i the case of AL. It often appears that the primary concern is to benefit the executive management, who are themselves employees, with few of the compliant old reliables warming the non-exec directors seats. In the case of Aer Lingus it was historically a gravy train for all the employees, reinforced for many years by the behavious/influence of local senior politicians.
The ownership situation is less than normal given EU airline ownersip restrictions and the government's Golden Share. With their pensions deficit and generally militant staff, they have a paucity of suitors other than Ryanair, who clearly have the stomach to take on the surgery needed.

DubTony

Nicely put.