Funding the full Aer Lingus fleet
Deasy asked about the cost and funding of replacing the whole fleet, including North Atlantic aircraft, and whether taxpayers would contribute. The Minister said future costs were uncertain, but Aer Lingus was currently funding six aircraft itself and he could see no taxpayer involvement in those purchases.
The Minister in his reply referred to the funding of the replacement fleet and he merely referred to the replacement of the European fleet. What about overall funding? The Minister referred to a sum of $72 million for aircraft already delivered and spoke about five about to be delivered also for the European routes. Who will fund the overall replacement of the Aer Lingus fleet? Can the Minister give an approximation of the total cost and will Aer Lingus be in a position to fund all of that replacement, whether on European routes or on North Atlantic routes?
Comment on this
I would need to be a prophet, because some of these purchases will be made in the mid nineties. The final report of the interdepartmental committee which will be submitted early in the New Year will address itself to the further down the line purchases, but these purchases are well down the line into the nineties. I gave the figure of $72 million and then there are four new Boeing 727-500 aircraft at a cost of $108.5 million.