Here are five reasons why Irish sport can celebrate the fact that the Government has overnight agreed the sale of its stake in Aer Lingus to British Airways parent IAG.
1. British Airways has a long and proud tradition of supporting sport and using it in promotional activity ranging from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games through using Rugby stars as in the Bryan Habana video below and right up to the moment using Stephen Gerrard to promote flights to the Caribbean.
2. This means that Aer Lingus’ across the board investment in meaningful relationships with sport from the Special Olympics to the Gaelic Players Association, Irish Rugby to associations with golfers including Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley will fit neatly into a culture of supporting sporting excellence and endeavour.
3. 200 new jobs are to be created in the next year and 600 by the end of 2020 securing the future of the Aer Lingus Sports and Athletics Association facilities at Dublin Airport, one of the longest standing and most successful commitments to sport in the workplace ever seen in Ireland.
4. The Government influence of Transport, Tourism and Sport Minister Pascal Donohue will fly high as a result of having overseen the deal, enabling him a stronger voice when it comes to budget negotiations over the summer, the last before a general election.
5. An increased network of direct links to British Airways and the IAG international network will make travel easier to Ireland from every country around the world. This is a vital component of promoting Ireland as a tourism and especially a sports tourism destination.
Main image Credit: Billy Stickland / Inpho.ie
