Offer Document Posted

RNS Number : 8386H

Ryanair Holdings PLC

17 July 2012

 



Not for release, publication or distribution, in whole or in part, in or into or from Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa or the United States or any other jurisdiction where it would be unlawful to do so.

Offer Document Posted

in respect of the

Cash Offer

by

Coinside Limited

a wholly owned subsidiary

of

Ryanair Holdings plc

for

Aer Lingus Group plc

Further to the announcement on 19 June 2012 by Ryanair Holdings plc ("Ryanair") of the firm intention to make an all cash offer of €1.30 per share (the "Offer") for the entire issued and to be issued share capital of Aer Lingus Group plc ("Aer Lingus"), the Board of Ryanair announces that the offer document containing the Offer (the "Offer Document") and the Form of Acceptance in connection with the Offer will be posted to Aer Lingus Shareholders today.

The Offer is open for acceptances until 3:00 p.m. (Dublin time) on 13 September 2012.

The Offer Document is available at A&L Goodbody, International Financial Services Centre, North Wall Quay, Dublin 1 and also on Ryanair's website at http://www.ryanair.com/en/investor/investor-relations-news.

Unless otherwise defined in this announcement, capitalised words and phrases used in this announcement shall have the same meanings given to them in the Offer Document.

For further information

please contact:                       

Ryanair
Howard Millar		[phone]
Davy Corporate Finance Eugenée Mulhern Brian Garrahy		[phone]
Morgan Stanley & Co Limited Colm Donlon Adrian Doyle		[phone]
Edelman Joe Carmody		[phone]

Davy Corporate Finance, which is regulated in Ireland by the Central Bank, is acting exclusively for Ryanair and Coinside Limited ("Coinside") and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Ryanair and Coinside for providing the protections afforded to clients of Davy Corporate Finance nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer, the contents of this announcement or any transaction or arrangement referred to in this announcement.

Morgan Stanley & Co. Limited is acting exclusively for Ryanair and Coinside and no one else in connection with the Offer and will not be responsible to anyone other than Ryanair and Coinside for providing the protections afforded to clients of Morgan Stanley & Co. Limited nor for providing advice in relation to the Offer, the contents of this announcement or any transaction or arrangement referred to in this announcement.

The availability of the Offer to persons outside Ireland may be affected by the laws of the relevant jurisdiction. Such persons should inform themselves about and observe any applicable requirements. The Offer will not be made, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, the United States or any other jurisdiction where it would be unlawful to do so, or by use of the mails, or by any means or instrumentality (including, without limitation, telephonically or electronically) of interstate or foreign commerce, or by any facility of a national securities exchange of any jurisdiction where it would be unlawful to do so, and the Offer will not be capable of acceptance by any such means, instrumentality or facility from or within Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, the United States or any other jurisdiction where it would be unlawful to do so. Accordingly, copies of this announcement and all other documents relating to the Offer are not being, and must not be, mailed or otherwise forwarded, distributed or sent in, into or from Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa, the United States or any other jurisdiction where it would be unlawful to do so. Persons receiving such documents (including, without limitation, nominees, trustees and custodians) should observe these restrictions. Failure to do so may invalidate any related purported acceptance of the Offer. Notwithstanding the foregoing restrictions, Ryanair reserves the right to permit the Offer to be accepted if, in its sole discretion, it is satisfied that the transaction in question is exempt from or not subject to the legislation or regulation giving rise to the restrictions in question.

The directors of Ryanair and Coinside accept responsibility for the information contained in this announcement, save that the only responsibility accepted by the directors of Ryanair and Coinside in respect of the information in this announcement relating to Aer Lingus, the Aer Lingus Group, the directors of Aer Lingus and persons connected with them, which has been compiled from published sources, has been to ensure that such information has been correctly and fairly reproduced or presented (and no steps have been taken by the directors of Ryanair or Coinside to verify this information). To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of Ryanair and Coinside (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure that such is the case), the information contained in this announcement for which they accept responsibility is in accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import of such information.

This announcement does not constitute an offer to sell or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any securities.  Any response in relation to the Offer should be made only on the basis of the information contained in the Offer Document or any document by which the Offer is made.

Rule 8 - Dealing Disclosure Requirements

Under the provisions of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Panel Act, 1997, Takeover Rules 2007, as amended (the "Irish Takeover Rules"), if any person is, or becomes, 'interested' (directly or indirectly) in, 1 percent, or more of any class of 'relevant securities' of Aer Lingus or Ryanair, all 'dealings' in any 'relevant securities' of Aer Lingus or Ryanair (including by means of an option in respect of, or a derivative referenced to, any such 'relevant securities') must be publicly disclosed by not later than 3:30 p.m. (Dublin time) on the business day following the date of the relevant transaction. This requirement will continue until the date on which the Offer becomes effective or on which the 'Offer period' otherwise ends. If two or more persons co-operate on the basis of any agreement, either express or tacit, either oral or written, to acquire an 'interest' in 'relevant securities' of Aer Lingus or Ryanair, they will be deemed to be a single person for the purpose of Rule 8.3 of the Irish Takeover Rules.

Under the provisions of Rule 8.1 of the Irish Takeover Rules, all 'dealings' in 'relevant securities' of Aer Lingus by Ryanair or 'relevant securities' of Ryanair by Aer Lingus, or by any of their respective 'associates' must also be disclosed by no later than 12 noon (Dublin time) on the business day following the date of the relevant transaction.

A disclosure table, giving details of the companies in whose 'relevant securities' 'dealings' should be disclosed can be found on the Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie.

'Interests in securities' arise, in summary, when a person has long economic exposure, whether conditional or absolute, to changes in the price of securities. In particular, a person will be treated as having an 'interest' by virtue of the ownership or control of securities, or by virtue of any option in respect of, or derivative referenced to, securities.

Terms in quotation marks are defined in the Irish Takeover Rules, which can also be found on the Irish Takeover Panel's website. If you are in any doubt as to whether or not you are required to disclose a dealing under Rule 8, please consult the Panel's website at www.irishtakeoverpanel.ie or contact the Panel on telephone number [phone]; fax number [phone].

 

END

 

 

ODPUBRRRUNABAAR