Sir, - In my time with the Aer Lingus economic planning department, back in the 1960s, I was always uneasily conscious of the weight of the amortisation charges on the fixed capital. Would it be unethical to suggest that the present crisis might be weathered by mothballing some of the fleet, and extending the length of time over which they were amortised?
Would this count as "creative accounting"? Or might it be a genuine way to save a skilled workforce to support the eventual recovery? - Yours, etc.,
Roy Johnston, Rathmines, Dublin 6.