The low cost Irish airline RYANAIR (turnover of €1.693 bn in en 2005 with 3500 employees, 419 lines in 24 pays and 35 million passengers) has launched a hostile takeover bid of €2.80 per share for the national AER LINGUS company (turnover of €883 million in 2005 with 3475 employees and 8 million passengers) of which it has already bought up 16% with its flotation on the stock exchange on 28 September. The offer estimates that AER LINGUS is worth €1.481 bn and was rejected by both the...