Air-fares will “go through the roof” if the country does not increase the passenger cap at Dublin Airport, Ryanair has claimed.
Dublin Airport has lodged a planning application with Fingal County Council, urging officials to increase its current passenger cap from 32 million passengers a year to 40 million.
Speaking to The Hard Shoulder this evening, Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson described the passenger cap at Dublin Airport as farcical.
“We’ve built the two runways,” he said.
“Can you imagine any other country that would build two runways at their major airport and then end up with less capacity than when they started?
“It is a joke.”
Passengers at Dublin Airport's Terminal 1, 3-4-23. Image: Piere Bonbon / AlamyMr Wilson also hit out at Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan, alleging he was uninterested in aviation.
“He hasn’t done anything with aviation for the last [four] years and he’s going to do nothing about this either,” he said.
“If you take things in London, for example, it’s a piece of national infrastructure and we’re going to end up with the same rubbish that we have with the National Children’s Hospital.
“This is going to roll on for four years and airfares are going to go through the roof.”
Opposition
Minister Ryan has previously said the decision is one for local officials but there is significant opposition from within the Green Party to increasing the cap.
Last week, Dublin MEP Ciarán Cuffe said expanding the airport would be “crazy” given Ireland’s climate targets.
“It seems crazy in the middle of a climate emergency that we’re proposing to increase the capacity of Dublin Airport by 25%,” he said.
“But it’s not just about the climate; it’s also about ensuring the people of Dublin can get a good night’s sleep.
“I think there’s real concerns about the noise pollution from these early morning and late night aircraft.”
Fingal County Council is expected to make a decision on the DAA’s application this month.
Main image: A flight at Dublin Airport. Picture by: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo
