Aer Lingus brands itself 'civilised' airline
(Source : Financial Times, January 27, 2010)
Aer Lingus Tuesday declared itself 'Ireland's civilised airline' as it unveiled a plan to position itself midway between Ryanair and high-end carriers such as British Airways. CE Christoph Mueller told investors in London of plans for a new business model that some analysts compared with that of Easyjet. While Aer Lingus hopes to lure business travellers with faster check-in times, pre-paid meals and central airports, rather than the secondary ones for which Ryanair is known, it will not focus on the quality lounges, free food and drinks associated with full-service airlines. The airline's 'civilised' tag will be seen as a dig at Ryanair, which has twice tried to buy Aer Lingus and remains its biggest shareholder with a stake of 29%.
