Sir, - We are continually hearing that Aer Lingus is looking for a strategic partner. However, as time goes on there are fewer and fewer of them left, and valuable time has been lost by wrangling over TEAM Aer Lingus, which is a millstone around the parent company's neck placed there by politicians.
There is no doubt that there is a very serious threat to the survival of Aer Lingus if a decision is not made quickly on the strategic alliance. As was said by the Irish Airline Pilots Association, the company should be partly or entirely privatised in order to attract the best management and most capable directors, and be free of political interference.
At present, at least four European airlines - Air France, TAP, Alitalia and LOT - are being prepared for privatisation to ensure their survival in a very competitive business world, which will become more cut-throat as the various alliances begin to have more influence in the marketplace. At present there are very few airlines of any consequence which have not entered into strategic alliances. Aer Lingus is becoming a true wallflower.
Aer Lingus cannot survive by itself, and the sooner a decision is made the better for the company, for its employees, for the taxpayer and for the travelling public. Every day the choice of partners is getting more and more limited. Unfortunately, to many of the unions at Dublin Airport privatisation is a dirty word, but it will eventually come to a choice between partial privatisation or the demise of the company. Aer Lingus is not a very attractive partner for most European airlines, since it has a very high cost base and an unbalanced route structure. - Yours, etc.,
St Paul's Road, Galway.