Ireland Approves Aer Lingus Deal

The Republic of Ireland's parliament has approved the sale of a stake in Aer Lingus to British Airways owner, IAG. Irish lawmakers voted by 74 votes to 51 in favor of the deal. Some MPS had expressed concern about the sale of the 25% stake, fearing that services between Irish airports and London's Heathrow could be cut. However on Tuesday, after months of negotiation, the government and IAG announced an agreement under which IAG promised to maintain routes. Under the deal IAG agreed to a legally binding commitment to maintain current services between Heathrow and Dublin, Cork and Shannon for at least seven years. Also, Aer Lingus will operate its international passenger services under the Aer Lingus brand and its head office will remain in the Republic of Ireland.