Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

Ryanair’s acceptance on Tuesday of <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2015-05-27/ireland-accepts-iag-bid-aer-lingus">International Airlines Group’s offer for its shares in Aer Lingus</a> means that IAG’s €1.4 billion acquisition of the Irish flag carrier “is now wholly unconditional.” With Ryanair’s agreement to sell its 29.1 percent share, the holders of more than 95 percent of Aer Lingus have voted to in favor of IAG’s acquisition.

 


“We’d like to welcome Aer Lingus into IAG,” said IAG chief executive Willie Walsh. “It will remain an iconic Irish brand with its base and management team in Ireland but will now grow as part of a strong, profitable airline group. This means new routes and more jobs benefitting customers, employees and the Irish economy and tourism.”

 


The agreement finally ends months of negotiation and legal wrangling over IAG’s effort to take control of Aer Lingus. Although in January Aer Lingus accepted IAG’s third bid for the Irish flag carrier, the Irish government refused to sell its 25-percent stake until IAG guaranteed to certain stipulations about the future of the airline, most notably a promise to maintain Aer Lingus’s slots at London Heathrow Airport. In May IAG agreed to the terms, including a commitment to maintain Aer Lingus’s current daily winter and summer scheduled frequencies between London Heathrow and Dublin, Cork and Shannon for at least seven years after the&nbsp;acquisition.

 


IAG also said Aer Lingus will operate all of its scheduled international air transport passenger services under the Aer Lingus brand, and maintain Aer Lingus as its registered name and its head office and place of incorporation in the Republic of&nbsp;Ireland.

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News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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