Aer Lingus reports €93m losses

Aer Lingus today reported losses of €93m for the first half of 2009 - almost four times the figure for the same period last year.

Blaming a Government travel tax and weak consumer confidence, the airline said fares were continuing to fall and warned ongoing cost-cutting measures were needed.

Colm Barrington, Aer Lingus chairman, described the market as extremely challenging with revenue down 12.2 per cent.

"The scale of the operating loss clearly illustrates the extent of the challenges facing Aer Lingus in the current environment," he said.

"While traffic volumes have stabilised, consumer confidence remains weak and we see no sign of any improvement in the near term.