Ryanair has called on Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan, to take “urgent action” to protect Irish flights and consumers and reverse what it calls Fingal County Council’s “idiotic decision” to slash night flights at Dublin Airport from 11pm to 7am.
Fingal Council announced the move – which will lower night flight volumes by 40% – is to come into being in just 6 weeks’ time.
“Implementing this stupid decision would mean that, despite investing over €300m in Dublin’s 2nd runway, the Airport will now be restricted to fewer flights than there were when there was only 1 runway. This idiotic decision must be reversed by our Transport Minister to protect customers and flights at Ireland’s national airport,” Ryanair said in a statement.
The airline wants Minister Ryan to implement a “sensible solution” – namely, to move this night time flight restriction period from 11pm – 7am to 12am – 6am.
This, it said, would avoid disruption to the vast majority of first wave flights which depart Dublin between 6am and 7am, allow Transatlantic flights which arrive early to land before the 6am curfew, but would not result in significant flight restrictions. Any flight restrictions that would be required by moving this night time curfew to 12am – 6am can readily be imposed on cargo flights, thereby avoiding any disruptions to Irish citizens, visitors, tourism or jobs, Ryanair said.
Ryanair’s CEO, Eddie Wilson, said Minister Ryan should resign from his post if he fails to act over this matter.
Mr Wilson said: “Ryanair calls on Transport Minister, Eamon Ryan, to do something useful for Irish air travel at Dublin Airport for the first time in his office. He must instruct Fingal Co.Co. to withdraw their stupid enforcement notice, and instead require that this night time restriction period be slightly modified from 11pm – 7am to 12am – 6am. This measure will still reduce night time noise at Dublin Airport (particularly when the majority of flights are now operated on new, quieter engine aircraft) to satisfy the needs of Fingal Co.Co. However, this sensible solution balances the needs of Irish air travel and its connectivity to Europe, with the complaints of the tiny number of neighbours of Dublin Airport complaining about the Airport’s ever reducing noise envelope.
“If Minister Ryan fails to act, particularly when the DAA has spent €300m on a 2nd runway, then he should resign and appoint someone competent as Transport Minister. He has repeatedly failed to act on aviation issues when DAA mismanaged airport security last summer or when drone activity closed Dublin Airport in January, and now when a local Council threatens to severely damage Ireland’s national aviation industry and connectivity to Europe with just 6 weeks notice.”
