RYANAIR offers EU concessions in Aer Lingus takeover

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Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair has offered concessions to European Union antitrust regulators in a bid to secure regulatory clearance to acquire local rival Aer Lingus.

The European Commission did not detail Ryanair's offer which was submitted last Wednesday. The EU executive has set a Feb. 6 deadline for its decision on the 700 million euro ($912 million) deal.

EU regulators are worried the takeover could cut competition on routes out of Ireland, where the two airlines are each other's closest rivals.

Earlier this month, Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said Europe's biggest budget airline would scrap some of both its and Aer Lingus's routes from Ireland, and may set up a Brussels base for Aer Lingus as part of a package of concessions.

He said British Airways, Citijet and Virgin Atlantic Airways, had expressed interest in taking over some of the routes.

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