A shortlist of candidates has been drawn up for the Aer Lingus chief executive post with interviews expected to take place in the run- up to St Patrick's Day.
Between eight and 10 candidates are on the shortlist, according to sources. KPMG acted as headhunters for the position and have been in contact with several senior executives during the last fortnight.
An Aer Lingus board sub-committee, chaired by Anglo Irish chairman Seán FitzPatrick, will select the candidate. The person selected is usually then endorsed by the main board. The terms and conditions of the successful candidate then have to be approved by the Department of Transport.
The continuing uncertainty over the airline's future has proved a disincentive to some candidates, sources report, and others have expressed disappointment with the remuneration package currently available. However, the post remains a high-profile one and executive Willie Walsh, who left the airline earlier this year, was paid a total remuneration package (including pension contribution) in 2003 of €498,000. While this is a significant salary, it is far lower than what is available to senior executives in some of the larger quoted companies.
The airline is currently being run by executive chairman John Sharman, an executive director of Spectrum Capital, the London-based aviation finance firm. He was unavailable to comment yesterday.
Speculation on who might succeed Mr Walsh continues to centre on Alan Joyce, a former Aer Lingus manager, who currently heads Jetstar, the low-cost operation of Australian carrier Qantas. He joined Qantas in 2001 and his main experience is in fleet and network planning.
The Eircom commercial director, David McRedmond, is also understood to be a contender. Other potential candidates include the former Easyjet finance director, Chris Walton, and the founder of Go Airlines, Barbara Cassani. Internal candidates are believed to include Niall Walsh, the former director of Procurement.
Meanwhile, negotiations between Aer Lingus and the two airline manufacturers - Boeing and Airbus - are continuing. Mr Sharman told a Daíl committee a few weeks ago the airline would need clarity on funding for a new long haul fleet by the summer.
However, the airline's fleet requirements have become less clear in recent days.
This week the EU said it would attempt to kick-start its stalled "open skies" talks with the US. Until Aer Lingus knows the outcome of these talks, it may be difficult to assess how many aircraft it needs. Aer Lingus is currently confined to just five airports in the US.
