The executive chairman of Aer Lingus, Mr Bernie Cahill, yesterday warned that the loss of the Danish firm, FLS, as a strategic partner for TEAM Aer Lingus would spell disaster for the Irish company. He ruled out any Aer Lingus revision of its 1993 survival plan, which saw a strategic partner as essential for the survival of its aircraft maintenance subsidiary.
Mr Cahill appealed to the TEAM workers "to think again and, with good will on all sides, this deal can be made work to everyone's benefit . . . I believe irreparable damage will be caused to TEAM if the employees chose to ignore market realities and this deal fails."
A successful integration of TEAM and FLS would allow the Irish company greater access to world markets, Mr Cahill said, adding that the Danish firm had an impressive employment record. Mr Cahill was speaking at the inauguration of a Cork-Amsterdam daily service.