Ryanair determined to buy Aer Lingus

Ryanair, Europe's biggest low-cost airline, has seen two of its bids for Aer Lingus fail since 2006, due to opposition from Aer Lingus' management and competition concerns voiced by the Irish government and the European Union.

However, Aer Lingus last month appeared to tone down its outright opposition to the alliance after announcing record operating losses and a rate of cash burn which it said was unsustainable.

"Ultimately, we will be allowed to buy Aer Lingus," said O'Leary, whose airline is the biggest shareholder in the former state carrier at more than 29 percent, surpassing the government's 25 percent stake.

"In another 18 months and with more redundancies, they'll have burnt their way through the last of the cash they have and will need to be rescued," O'Leary said.

Aer Lingus Chief Financial Officer Sean Coyle said last month he did not know if Aer Lingus would resist another approach from Ryanair, though Chairman Colm Barrington maintained it would be difficult to cooperate with O'Leary.

(Reporting by Andras Gergely; editing by Karen Foster)