Ryanair’s charm offensive pays off with 152 per cent profit rise July 28, 2014 A strong Easter performance and its new focus on customer service have been highlighted by Ryanair as some of the reasons it enjoyed an 11 per cent rise in revenue and a four per cent rise in passenger numbers in the first quarter. The buoyant results come after a string of less successful announcements, with [...]
Aer Lingus rejects latest takeover bid from British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines January 10, 2015 Once again, Irish airline Aer Lingus has rejected a takeover offer from International Consolidated Airlines (IAG). The holding company, which was set up by Willie Walsh and owns British Airways, upped its takeover offer to €2.40 (£1.88) a share at the end of December. Previously, IAG had made a bid of €2.30 a [...]
Aer Lingus is considering IAG’s increased offer January 26, 2015 Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus is considering a takeover bid by British Airways owner International Consolidated Airlines (IAG). In a market update this morning, it said: “the board is considering the revised proposal”. The most recent offer, which is the third IAG has made since December, values the Irish airline at €1.34bn (£1bn), or €2.50 [...]
British Airways owner rejected by Aer Lingus December 18, 2014 Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus yesterday revealed that it had knocked back an offer from international rival IAG, owner of British Airways. Despite the knock-back, IAG is expected to come back with an improved offer, which could be supported by Ryanair. The budget carrier is a major shareholder in Aer Lingus, although it may soon [...]
IAG approach for Aer Lingus turned down by Irish government February 24, 2015 The Irish government has turned down a bid from the International Airlines Group (IAG) for Aer Lingus, saying it was not willing to sell its stake in the airline without further assurances. The government wants commitments on growth prospects and the safeguarding of jobs, before it considers selling its 25 per cent stake. Willie Welsh, [...]
Aintree return can see Balder claim another big prize April 9, 2015 TODAY’S Melling Chase (3.25pm) is highly competitive but practically every horse in the line-up has something to prove. Champagne Fever is the one to beat if he’s over the lip-biting from stablemate Un Atout that forced him to miss the Betway Champion Chase. However, he’s always been inconsistent and I wouldn’t put total faith in [...]
Tui upbeat after strong demand for unique holidays and rise in online bookings March 25, 2015 The numbers Tui group has issued an optimistic trading statement. Average selling prices in the majority of source markets is toward the higher end and are up one per cent. Online bookings have climbed 12 per cent over the past six months and summer bookings are up one per cent. Why it's interesting In January, following [...]
Markets rocked as oil price spikes on Yemen violence March 26, 2015 MARKETS were yesterday shaken by the prospect of an end to the era of super-cheap oil after air strikes on rebels in Yemen by Saudi Arabia and its allies threatened to disrupt world oil supplies. Brent crude – a North Sea benchmark – jumped 4.5 per cent to $59 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) [...]
Racing FX March 11, 2015 I’VE got another good book of rides today and hopefully we can get into the winner’s enclosure again. VALSEUR LIDO takes his chance in the JLT Chase (1.30) and I’d be pretty confident that he can reverse the form with Apache Stronghold from last time. That was his first run for a while and he [...]
Mix it up: Japan’s favourite drink returns – sake is having a moment April 21, 2015 Learning to drink is like learning to read, in as much as you should start with the easy stuff, although it is generally advised that you perfect the latter before indulging in the former. Nobody could ever learn English by reading James Joyce (except, perhaps, someone with the intellect of James Joyce), while you'll struggle [...]