DAA, the operator of Dublin Airport , has expressed its “surprise” and “disappointment” at Ryanair’s refusal to join the airport “on the journey to a carbon free aviation eco-system over the coming years”.
Ryanair announced that they would be axing 17 routes from the airport.
Kenny Jacobs, daa’s CEO said: “I am surprised and disappointed that Ryanair would seek to reconfigure its based aircraft at Dublin Airport this winter when they could pay even lower ultra-low cost charges if they choose to avail of the suite of sustainability incentives we have proposed for 2024. I am baffled why any airline with sustainability ambitions would choose to turn down the opportunity to operate lower CO₂ emission and less noisy aircraft at Dublin Airport by turning down the new discount schemes. The Ryanair decision to reduce their MAX fleet at Dublin Airport next winter is adding to their cost base when by actually increasing the MAX fleet they would in fact pay even less in 2024 that they will in 2023.
“Rather than depending on back of a scratch card mathematics, I would urge those making such false statements, to redo their sums and more importantly study the range of sustainability incentives proposed at Dublin Airport and join us on the journey to a carbon free aviation eco-system over the coming years.
“Ryanair’s claim that Dublin Airport offers no incentives to airlines is also FALSE. A traffic recovery scheme is in place at Dublin Airport that has worked incredibly well and has facilitated the speedy 100% bounce back in activity at Dublin Airport post-Covid. This scheme will remain in place for another 6 months, including the winter period that Ryanair is focused on. As the biggest beneficiary of the TRSS scheme, we can understand why Ryanair would like to see it remain in place beyond next March, but we are happy that Dublin Airport’s growth has recovered to pre-pandemic levels and we do not need to incentivise new growth given Dublin Airport has a planning capacity limit of 32 million passengers per annum.”
daa announced on May 19th this year (https://www.daa.ie/daa-incentivises-airlines-to-reduce-co2-emissions-with-new-sustainability-measures/) proposals for new sustainability measures to incentivise airlines to operate lower CO₂ emission aircraft at Dublin Airport.
Under the new proposed incentive scheme, a low emissions discount will apply to Dublin Airport’s ultra-low cost aeronautical charges, the lowest of any capital city airport in Europe and the airport operator, daa, will charge airlines who fly high emission aircraft more. daa has spent the past four months consulting with airlines including Ryanair regarding how such a scheme would work.
