SANTA/LAPLAND FLIGHTS NOW AT RISK OF SWITCH TO BELFAST AS GREEN MINISTERS FAIL TO DEFEND IRISH AIR TRANSPORT AND TOURISM

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, today (Mon, 23 Sept) confirmed they have reached agreement with Leinster Rugby to switch the Leinster Team’s away match flights from Dublin to Belfast Airport because the IAA have blocked slots for these extra Rugby flights, which have operated every year from Dublin for the last 20 years. Transport Minister Eamon Ryan could have instructed the IAA to allow slots for these Leinster Rugby flights, but has yet again failed to do so. As a result, the Leinster Rugby Team will now be forced to divert to Belfast to catch flights for their away matches in Bristol, Cardiff and La Rochelle.

Ryanair calls again on Transport Minister Eamon Ryan and Green Tourism Minister Catherine Martin to take action and issue a Direction Letter to the IAA to authorise slots for regular winter extra flights, such as those taken by the Leinster Rugby Team and their supporters, and also the Christmas Lapland flights, which take hundreds of Irish families from Dublin to Lapland in the 3 weeks prior to Christmas. Under Section 10 of the Aviation Action 2001, the Transport Minister has the legal power to issue a Direction to the IAA to allow these extra slots, but despite receiving a draft of this letter from Ryanair, he has still not signed or issued this letter to the IAA.

If Green Transport Minister Eamon Ryan won’t take action to defend Irish aviation, then Ryanair calls on Green Tourism Minister Catherine Martin to intervene. Dublin Airport is facing the loss of Leinster Rugby flights, of Lapland flights to Santa Claus, and over 220,000 extra seats from London and other UK cities to reunite Irish families over the Christmas holidays. These flights can operate at Dublin if Transport Minister issues this letter to the IAA but despite repeated calls, he has failed to act. Ryanair calls on Eamon Ryan, and if he won’t act, Catherine Martin, to resolve this 17 year old traffic cap at Dublin Airport and issue a Letter of Direction to the IAA instructing them to allow these regular extra flights without further delay.

Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary said:

“The Irish Transport Minister has the power to issue a Letter of Direction to the Irish Aviation Authority, telling them to allow these regular winter extras for Leinster Rugby flights, for Santa flights to Lapland at Christmas, and hundreds of Christmas extras to/from Dublin, which enable thousands of Irish families to reunite over the Christmas holidays. It is unacceptable that Ireland’s Transport Minister won’t exercise his legal power to approve these extra flights. If he won’t act (as he has failed to for 4 years now), we then call on Green Tourism Minister Catherine Martin to take action.

Dublin Airport opened a 2^nd runway in 2022, taking runway capacity up to 60m passengers. However, because of Eamon Ryan’s failure to act, Irish airlines cannot add extra flights or effectively use this 2^nd runway because of a 17 year old planning restriction (about road traffic concerns), which Fingal CoCo and An Bord Pleanála themselves ignored in 2015 when they granted planning permission for Dublin’s 2^nd runway.

The repeated failure of the Green Party to deliver the growth promised in their aviation and tourism policies in Government has now been exposed. Eamon Ryan and Catherine Martin can and should now issue a Direction Letter to the IAA telling them to allow these extra slots, so that Leinster Rugby can travel to their away matches from Dublin Airport. This is also necessary to allow Irish families to travel to Lapland from Dublin not Belfast this Christmas. Irish aviation and tourism is the laughingstock of Europe, where 2 Green Ministers sit on their hands doing nothing while a 17 year old concern about road traffic blocks growth of Irish air traffic, tourism and jobs. The sooner an Election takes place and these failed Green Ministers are replaced, the better it will be for Irish aviation, Irish tourism and Irish economic growth.”