It had been an achievement for the Irish government finally to have floated Aer Ligus after several false starts over a number of years. Aer Lingus and its board firmly rejected the Ryanair approach, stating that it had acted in a hostile, anticompetitive manner designed to eliminate a rival at a derisory price. A combined Ryanair-Aer Lingus operation would account for 80 per cent of all flights between Ireland and other European countries.