Aer Lingus says agreement on Ryanair connections possible by next year

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Aer Lingus is in talks with its compatriot short-haul carrier Ryanair about providing transfer connections for markets it does not serve, and an agreement could be reached by mid-2016, Chief Executive Stephen Kavanagh said on Wednesday.

(Reuters)

"We are looking at the opportunities to extend our network reach. There are markets that Ryanair serves that we don't so we are having those discussions about what is currently happening on an ad hoc basis," said Kavanagh, whose airline was bought by British Airways and Iberia owner International Airlines Group last month, told reporters.

"If we get the right price in terms of the capacity from Ryanair, then we would be very interested in doing business. At this point in time we remain in negotiation. If the commercial agreements are reached in time, then summer 2016 is a possibility."

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Greg Mahlich)