Completed Acquisition By Ryanair Holdings plc Of A Minority Shareholding In Aer Lingus Group plc

1. On 15 June 2012, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) made a reference to the Competition Commission (CC) under section 22(1) of the Enterprise Act 2002 (the Act) concerning the completed acquisition by Ryanair Holdings plc of a minority shareholding in Aer Lingus Group plc.

2. Following a previous extension of the inquiry period pursuant to section 39(4) of the Act, the period within which the report on this reference was to be prepared and published (the reference period) was due to expire on 11 July 2013.

3. On 30 May 2013, the Group of members of the CC appointed to consider this reference (the Group) published its provisional findings and a notice of possible remedies.

4. The Group has decided pursuant to section 39(3) of the Act, for the reasons set out in paragraph 5 below, that the final report cannot be prepared and published within the reference period and this period should be extended by eight weeks. The revised reference period will expire on Thursday 5 September 2013.

5. In taking this decision, the Group had regard to the scope and complexity of this inquiry, the need to allow sufficient time to take full account of any comments received in response to its provisional findings and the need to consider the effectiveness and practicability of the range of possible remedies. The Group has concluded that in these circumstances an extension to the reference period is necessary.