As Aer Lingus gears itself up for flotation, it is interesting to note the airline's current attitude to dispensing announcements, which affect the company, which is still owned by the Government on behalf of you the shareholder (taxpayer).

The imminent sale of its cargo handling facility at Heathrow Airport in London was first reported in the media last October. The deal was concluded in December. This week, the purchaser, a division of John Menzies, the British newspaper and magazines distributor, said it had paid Aer Lingus £6 million sterling (€9.6 million) for the lease.

Aer Lingus, perhaps understandably, seemed unaware of the announcement, which it said had come from Menzies as part of another announcement. The State-owned airline played it down, suggesting because the imminent sale had been reported last October that it was old news.

The Margin pointed out that be that as it may, the sale price was new. "We don't announce sale prices, nor have we done so for a couple of years," said a spokesman.

The Margin hopes the airline will be able to adapt quickly to the public company ethos, which demands a certain level of information disclosure about transactions. To most taxpayers, the "gain" of £6 million to a State company would probably be regarded as being of some significance.