Today marks the deadline for shareholders in Aer Lingus to accept the takeover offer from IAG.
The group's offer has already been accepted by the owners of over 62% of the airline's shares. That includes the government's 25% stake.
Most of the remaining shares are held by Ryanair, which is expected to formally accept the deal today.
Ryanair had previously failed to respond to the offer deadline.
In a statement, a Ryanair spokesman pointed out that as the airline hadn’t expected to receive the proceeds of the sale of its near 30% stake, it wouldn’t formally submit its signed acceptance of the IAG offer until mid-August.
IAG says it has received acceptances equivalent to 62.5% of Aer Lingus’s shareholding, so Ryanair’s formal response will push it above the 90% acceptance threshold allowing it compulsorily acquire any shareholders who have still not accepted at that stage.
