Ryanair has requested an early meeting with the chairman and board representatives of Aer Lingus, as well as the Employee Share Ownership Trust trustees, to explain the benefits of the deal. Ryanair plans to to double the size of the Aer Lingus short haul fleet to 66 aircraft from 33 over the next 5 years, thereby creating 1,000 new jobs in Aer Lingus during that period. Aer Lingus will remain a separate company and retain its special brand, and the Aer Lingus chairman will be invited to join the board of Ryanair. Ryanair said in a statement it believes that Aer Lingus is an isolated, uncompetitive, loss making EU flag carrier which has been bypassed by accelerating EU wide airline consolidation. Ryanair believes that Aer Lingus needs to find a strong airline partner to secure its future.