Aer Lingus operating loss increases in Q1

Aer Lingus has reported a 3.3% increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2013 to €259.7 million, although the airline’s operating loss grew by €9.4 million to €45.5 million compared with the first three months of 2012. Aer Lingus attributed the loss to the start-up costs for the “wet-lease” arrangement with Virgin in the UK, planned changes to the long haul fleet, and slightly weaker trading on UK routes. Higher fuel prices, airport charges and one-off costs also impacted profits, says the airline. Aer Lingus chief executive Christoph Mueller noted that the rising operating losses “highlights the need to