Ryanair’s Aer Lingus Bid Blocked by EU on Monopoly Concerns

Ryanair Holdings Plc’s 694 million-euro ($909 million) bid for Aer Lingus Group Plc was blocked by the European Union for a second time after regulators decided it would increase fares and reduce choice on flights from Ireland.

Merging the two Dublin-based airlines would have created a monopoly or a near-monopoly on 46 routes from Ireland, the European Commission said in an e-mailed statement today.