Christmas Bonus for Employee Share Fund

http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/aer-lingus-pays-euro25m-to-employee-share-trust-2469983.html

Summary:
Aer Lingus is paying around 25 million Euro to the ESOT (Employee Share Ownership Trust). Around 5000 employees will receive 16.000 Euro on average as they have bought a share in Aer Lingus in or before 2003. Aer Lingus is trying to wipe away its debts like this.
Back in the day Ryanair launched a hostile bid towards the company, but Aer Lingus and the Irish government rejected this. As Aer Lingus is wiping their debts away they also free themselves of the anual 7.5% profit bonus that has to be given to the employee share holders. A spokesperson from the airline declined to tell how much their eventual profit in this will be.

Response:
Aer Lingus will benefit from this in the long run. It seems as if they are very healthy at the moment being able to squander 25million to their share holders giving them the opportunity to sell their shares. Moreover it is over great benefit that they won't have to share out 7.5% of their annual profit to this group of shareholders. It seems that Aer Lingus is, although it is a very small airline, very healthy indeed and that there is no need for a takeover in the near future.