Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary has called on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to resign over the ongoing row concerning the 32 million annual passenger cap at Dublin Airport.
Mr O’Leary called the cap “idiotic” and said unless it is lifted all growth and new flights will bypass Dublin and go to major UK hubs like London, Manchester and Glasgow instead.
He also attacked Minister Ryan’s record over the security queue chaos at Dublin Airport in the summer of 2022 and over how his office dealt with the drone issues which closed the airport six times last year.
Mr O’Leary said: “Eamon Ryan’s position as Transport Minister is untenable. He has failed to tackle any air transport issues over the last four years. He has failed for four years to develop any aviation policy for Ireland, and he has now failed to take action while a number of his own Green TD’s – including Junior Minister, Joe O’Brien – and MEP’s, launch objections to a modest increase in the artificial traffic cap at Dublin Airport. As an island on the periphery of Europe, Ireland and Irish tourism need growth in low-cost air access, particularly when this growth is being delivered on new and more efficient aircraft, which carry more passengers but burn less fuel and reduce noise emissions as well.”
