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CEO OF RYANAIR Michael O’Leary will appear before the Oireachtas joint-committee on transport and communications networks next week to discuss the impact of the passenger cap at Dublin Airport on Ryanair’s business and operations.
Current planning permission at Dublin Airport states that the annual passenger cap, meaning the maximum number of people who are able to go through the airport each year, is set at 32 million.
O’Leary, who has long been very critical of the cap, called for the Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan to resign and has claimed that the limit has impacted his business, will discuss the planning regulation with TDs and Senators on Tuesday.
According to Ryanair boss, the passenger cap has not only stopped him from making more flights available for potential customers, but it has also resulted in increased prices for tickets.
In March, Ryan met with O’Leary and claimed the pair had a discussion that was concentrated on the issues, rather than personalities.
O’Leary said him and other Ryanair representatives were “very critical” of the Green Party and claimed that the refusal to scrap the cap sent a message to other markers that Ireland was “closed for business”.
After the meeting, the transport minister confirmed that the two men had disagreed over the passenger cap, but did agree when discussing sustainable aviation fuels. However, according to Ryan, lifting the cap would “completely undermine our planning system”.
The airport’s operators are also hopeful that the cap will be scrapped, with CEO of DAA Kenny Jacobs telling reporters last month that Dublin Airport also needed to be reclassified as strategic infrastructure.
Jacobs added that he believed there were higher chances that the cap would come to an end after a similar arrangement at Schiphol Airport, in the Netherlands, was thrown out by the European competitions court.
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Why a cap ?
There’s nowhere for any tourists to stay when the majority of hotel beds are occupied long-term by spongers thanks to our government.
We need paying tourism.
Not a destroyed country.
@Tom: It is not true that the majority of hotel beds are occupied long-term (or at all) by refugees (or ‘spongers’, as you like to call them).
@Tom: Did it ever occur to you that if things were a bit different, you might be a refugee?
@Brendan O’Brien:
He could be worse, he could be Irish.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_racism#/media/File%3AScientific_racism_irish.jpg
@Brendan O’Brien: Go back to your soup kitchen….
@Tom: you’re right
@Tom: Racism is a condition characterised by delusions of superiority. There is help available.
Be careful when people with thier own interests at heart start talking about ireland being open for business, I remember a politician not so long ago ,declaring we where the best little country to do business, and then creating the legislation for vulture funds to buy up any amount of housing, pay no taxes and create disgusting wealth with no social obligation. Greed is going to destroy humanity
@Robert Halvey: Ireland
@Robert Halvey: Exactly, and to allow those with wealth to buy more than 2 or 3 homes, particularly during a housing crisis, is hoarding and depletes others of living. #VultureFunds #EradicateBillionaires
The aviation industry estimates that it will take between $1.45 trillion to $3.2 trillion in capital development to increase the share of Sustainable Aviation Fuels to 65%. The world’s two largest aircraft lessors, bankers, and airline executives met in Dublin recently and stated that governments would need to invest massive sums of taxpayers money for this to happen; they want us to pay for it. The airline industry has never paid any tax on aviation fuel, unlike other industries who are heavily taxed for the fuel they use. Now, they are seeking another bailout from the taxpayer. It seems that there are different rules for taxation, climate change, and emissions for wealthy airlines compared to the rest of us, who face ever-increasing taxes & exercise duties to fuel our cars to go to work.
@John Dennehy: the fact the industry doesn’t pay tax on fuel is a total joke.
@Martin Bishop: Maybe they should pay their fair share of tax, and in turn, we should receive a massive reduction in fuel tax and excise duty for our cars or have car fuel tax abolished just like they do for their planes.
@John Dennehy: Yawn, is that a copy and paste from the last time you posted it?!?!…. Haven’t heard of any airline bailout. Haven’t heard of anyone asking the Irish Govt to pay for SAF. The airlines here contribute alot to the economy despite not paying tax on fuel. Those Aerlingus pilots pay alot of income tax don’t they ;-)
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: And so they should, no one should be exempt from paying tax, whether you’re a pilot, a wealthy airline, or a vulture fund.
@John Dennehy: Airlines pay taxes on profits
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: I pay taxes on my wages, but I also face heavy taxation when I refuel my car to go to work. Should I express gratitude to airlines for not paying their tax contributions?
@John Dennehy: Get onto the EU….. And FYI, if Airlines pay tax on fuel then fares go up to cover the cost. The consumer would pay for the airline fuel tax
Indirectly….. Do you want to pay another tax indirectly?!?!
@Martin Bishop: Nitrogen oxide released by planes burning fuel at that altitude has a 200 times more green house effect than a ground level
@John Dennehy: What do you think John?!?! What do you think will happen if they get charged tax on fuel?!?!….. Will you be happier with that more expensive air fare just so you can say they are being “taxed” on their fuel?!?!? Think the current fares will still exist without that tax being incorporated?!?!…… Sounds good on paper. In reality you me and everyone else pays indirectly….. That’s life as a consumer….. Maybe that’s what’s needed to reduce emissions, I’m all for it if it does, but your notion of “their tax contributions” in relation to aviation fuel is nonsense! Its not taxed to benefit the industry and make it cheaper for the consumer!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: * it’s not taxed to benefit the industry alone…..and to make it cheaper for the consumer as well*
This Brendan O’Brien guy and Honey Badger and a few others have to either work for the Journal or are government operatives, Always on here with the counter argument and never got banned like so many others did. It’s beyond obvious at this point.
@087 bed: You’ll see a ‘counter argument’ when the election results come in and most people, unlike you, haven’t voted for the far right. All ‘government operatives’, I suppose.
Greed at its finest. There always enough seats we don’t need more and more flights polluting the skies.
@Sean Money: There should be no need for a cap, then .
@Sean Money: WOW…. There literally isn’t enough seats because of the cap. Demand exceeds the cap. That’s why prices are going to go through the roof in winter. Supply vs demand. Watch the Sh.te show this winter with people struggling to get home for Christmas or travelling to markets/santa.
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: plenty of feckin seats, it’s a scam to increase fare prices. If you look online now its not like you can’t buy a seat is it?
@Sean Money: WOW again….. If I could do emojis there would be a 10 face palms used…… Its June, of course there’s still seats available in winter. There’s still seats available next week. But the seats next week are expensive on busy flights because they’re nearly full. Get the whole supply vs demand concept?!?!?….. So in winter, because of the cap, when there’s less daily flights to/from, say, London in the run up to Christmas or to other winter holiday destinations guess what happens?!?! There’s more demand for the limited number of flights and the prices go up! The DAA cap is not a scam by the airlines, it’s a farcical planning restriction!
@another one? what’s going on is the semi state sec: it looks like they have you hoodwinked boy, follow the flock and do as your told now. Do not be so gullible boy!
@Sean Money: Take off that tinfoil hat boy!…. It only makes you paranoid and angry as opposed to understanding the facts
As an island state I don’t believe we should have a cap on movement in or out of our airports but then again Dublin is completely overloaded. No car parking available, chronic traffic, endless holdup on Luas and other infrastructure.
Why not open Baldonnal to general air traffic. It has full runway facility for large planes and is only used a few times a year by government jet and our 3 little air force planes
Ireland is an aviation success story which came about from an agile population up for travelling to make ends meet. Few countries have that built-in energy. Long may it continue. The Govt shouldn’t stunt it but rather encourage innovation further. It shouldn’t regress and tell folks that unless they are wealthy they are not allowed to travel from now on.
Perhaps check passports from the bxll sxhitxt artists
@Darragh Mcnamara: Ryanair flights to Rwanda is whats needed! Free up our Hotels for visitors…
The Journal comments never disappoint. So predictable. The failures always appear in here looking to point the finger at others to explain their misery.
I rarely agree with MOL, but in this case he is correct.
That’s the same guy who was forced by the french to pay for the fuel, as he was stalling all the way ?
Vested interests have no problem accessing government. I was canvassed by only one local candidate for the elections.
Democracy my arse!
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