IAG offers concessions in bid for EU approval for Aer Lingus deal

By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - British Airways-owner IAG has offered concessions in an attempt to win European Union regulatory approval for its planned acquisition of a 25 percent stake in Ireland's Aer Lingus , the European Commission said on Thursday. IAG wants to expand lucrative transatlantic services from Dublin airport where there is spare capacity, unlike London's Heathrow where its biggest unit, British Airways, is based. The Commission said it had extended the deadline for its decision on the bid to July 15 from July 1. IAG submitted its concessions on Wednesday, the EU competition authority said on its website, without providing details. An IAG spokesman said: "IAG’s engagement with the Commission is ongoing, and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage." Aer Lingus was not immediately available to comment. Sources told Reuters last week that the Commission was unlikely to approve the stake buy without concessions from IAG to allay competition concerns. Airlines typically offer to give up airport slots, allow rivals access to connecting traffic or let competitors sell tickets on their flights on certain routes to secure regulatory clearance. IAG's Aer Lingus bid is conditional on agreement from Europe's biggest budget airline Ryanair , which has a 30 percent stake. (Additional reporting by Conor Humphries in Dublin and Paul Sandle in London; Editing by Philip Blenkinsop and Susan Fenton)