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RYANAIR CEO MICHAEL O’Leary has said he does not expect to see a return of flights between Dublin and Cork.
However, he does not consider short-haul internal flights in Ireland to be unacceptable in the context of the climate crisis, despite the aviation industry’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
The airline boss also criticised a decision by France to ban short flights that can be replaced by train journeys under 2.5 hours, claiming that exceptions to the ban for connecting flights would mean that “not a single flight” would be cancelled.
The aviation industry is a major polluter and producer of harmful greenhouse gas emissions that trap heat inside the atmosphere, causing average global temperatures to rise.
Cutting short-haul flights that can be taken using other forms of transport has been the focus of some calls to help reduce the sector’s heavy burden on the environment.
However, chief executive of the Dublin airport authority (daa) Kenny Jacobs told the Irish Examiner yesterday that he expects flights to return between Dublin and Cork, a route that was flown in the past by Ryanair and Aer Lingus Regional.
Responding to a question from The Journal at a press conference in Brussels today, O’Leary said: “I don’t think Cork-Dublin flights will return.”
“The motorway journeys are now less than two hours, the train services are less than two hours,” he said.
According to Irish Rail timetables, the direct train journey between Dublin Heuston and Cork Kent stations usually takes around two hours and 37 minutes.
“We were the main airline operating Cork-Dublin flights. We had three flights a day with 97% load factor. Once they finished the motorway, the load factor went from 97% to 23%,” O’Leary said.
Asked whether he believes short-haul flights are acceptable in Ireland from a climate perspective, he said: “I do, because they’re much less efficient but Ireland is a very small island and there’s very few domestic flights.”
“We operate one domestic from Kerry to Dublin where the road journey is five hours. That’s now taking place on a green, clean aircraft, so, I think that’s acceptable, but in reality if you have a small country like Ireland with a very important good motorway network, the market determines that there’s no market for short-haul flights.”
Climate change has already caused “substantial damages” and an increasing level of “irreversible losses” to ecosystems, according to UN scientists.
The world is currently around 1.1 degrees warmer than pre-industrial times and is experiencing impacts such as heatwaves, droughts and melting ice sheets.
In 2015, countries committed under the Paris Agreement to try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees and not to allow it to surpass 2 degrees.
Global surface temperatures are expected to exceed 1.5 and 2 degrees unless humanity makes “deep reductions” in emissions.
O’Leary was speaking at a press conference in Brussels after the airline sent a petition to the European Commission calling for ‘overflights’ – that is, a flight travelling over a particular country but not departing from or arriving in it – to be facilitated even during air traffic control srikes.
The petition, which received 1.1 million signatures, according to the airline, called on the Commission to “respect the strike rights of ATC unions but protect 100% of overflights during national ATC strikes”.
If air traffic control strikes require flight cancellations, these should be managed to affect domestic or short-haul flights to or from the affected country, rather than flights flying over it, the petition demands.
Ryanair is requesting that the Commission enforces “binding arbitration” for ATC disputes before strike action, require a 21-day notice of strike action, and require a 72-hour notice of employee participation in strikes.
The French government recently announced that short flights which could be replaced by train journeys under 2.5 hours would no longer be permitted within the country – with certain conditions, such as the availability of trains early enough in the morning and late enough in the evening to travel from one location to another and back in a day.
The measure was proposed by a citizens’ assembly on climate in France in 2019, which originally called for a ban on flights where trains journeys of under four hours were possible.
O’Leary labelled the decision a “complete red herring”, suggesting that “not one flight will be cancelled or banned as a result that measure because it has a huge big asterisks exemption which is unless you’re flying on a connecting flight through Charles de Gaulle”.
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All well and good, but it will only work if people want to work. The only reason somebody should be out of work today is if they are physically or mentally unable to.
@Coco86: Social welfare should be capped per area. No square kilometre of the country should be allowed more than 8% of its people on the dole.
@specialsue: that’s ambitious. Not a huge amount going on in Frenchpark.
@specialsue: well that’s the most moronic statement I’ll read all day. And how exactly does this work? First come first served and good luck to everyone else?
@specialsue: I have heard some ridiculous statements but that has to be the worst.think about it again and come back in and apologize.
@Coco86: depends on the work, apprenticeships good , minimum wage jobs in Tesco not good.
@Hardly Normal: well then get an apprenticeship.
@Eon Cocker: specialsue specialises in these type of comments. Reactionary and populist sound bites.
@Hardly Normal: getting of the ar5e to begin with, good
@Coco86: are you hiring?
@Hardly Normal: And whats wrong with working anywhere on minimum wage while looking for an apprenticeship?
@marian: I am actually, are you looking?
@Coco86: yeah, can you please give me the address so i can come there and talk with a manager also please give me your name so i can say I spoke with you about a job position… thanks!
@marian: I’m currently recruiting for a number of live roles based in the South East. Register with one of the three recruitment firms in Waterford, put coco in the subject line and ill find you :)
@Coco86: so cool man i am actually from waterford, just give me the business address and your name i can meet you today at one of your recruitment agencies.
@marian: I’ve just told you what to Do, but you can have the last word, I’m quite busy – at work – you know what that is? Have fun pal x
@Coco86: ok I just did, I’ve put coco in the email subject can you please reply back to me!? Thanks!
@Coco86: you can bring a horse to a water trough but ……..
@Coco86: still waiting!
@Coco86: dude you need professional help, have you tried mentalhealthireland.ie ?
Absolute rubbish I was unemployed and I was given every opportunity and help to find employment, As much as I enjoy slagging the government at every available chance, I was allowed do courses free of charge and have another diploma under my belt thanks to my local employment center. I work for myself now.
@Graham Light: Well said Graham and fair play. I was out of full time work for almost three years during the recession. Re-skilled in college now im on a completely different career path. All these opportunities are still there but most dont want them. Serious review of the social welfare system for those who can but wont work would be a better use of time
@Graham Light: agreed and well done, and i wish you the best of luck. I can only imagine that these 8k out of work must be the sc&mbags who have no intention of working and make a few bob out of peddling dope, They should be made sweep the strees
@Joe Mc: “peddling dope”
What’s this Compton?
@Mark McDermott: Have a walk around parts of our beautiful capital at night and you may as well be in Compton. I went to get milk the other day for my Dad and counted 6 needles on the street, its a 5 minute walk. I am very proud of where my family come from, infact its our family home for generation’s but its not a nice place to walk around at night anymore.
@Graham Light: the only point I’ll differ with you is you have to remember these younger people came of working age when there was no work. My belief is if your not working by the age of 17-18 you get into a rot which is hard to break
@Graham Light: Well said Graham, Our social welfare is the problem, it should be gradually reduced for people able to work, no excuses for not working in the current environment, this throwing free money at people that are able but unwilling to work has to stop.
@David Clarke: I agree with you David its not easy but its not impossible either. I know I was unemployed feeling low, unable to buy the things I wanted, feeling like a drain on society but all I am saying is there is so many courses available and they are free.
@Graham Light: agree I was on the dole also and did a course didn’t mind keeps the head right.
@Graham Light: And here’s another false name no profile FG’er praising the government and himself.
@Dave Doyle: thanks for the heads up
@Dave Doyle: I have been called alot of things during my life but a FG’er thats a first, however your entitled to your opinion and in relation to praising myself, I have ever right too, I worked hard in my course and I am proud of myself.
@Dave Doyle: Don’t see your contribution to the discussion. Aside from the major problems with this government nobody can say they dont have opportunities to better themselves via education. Do what you like then emigrate or stay or whatever. But it’s a bit rich to have a pop at someone for taking the opportunities, and yes fair play to successive governments for providing said opportunities. But I’d imagine you just like complaining, here – have some free money
Social welfare has this country ruined.
“Innocent people are dying in the streets” as a result of homelessness.
SW is a career choice now. It’s the same standard of living as those on low income wages so what’s the point in working?
@Pajo Mata: It can also ruin the chances of healthy young people receiving it long term as they don’t learn to stand on their own feet, thereby missing out on the great opportunities that life has to offer.
@Pajo Mata: who has died on the streets as a result of homelessness ?? Proof please……I think you will find they died of something other than homelessness….
@Pajo Mata: exactly
@Gerry Cummins: Hmmm being homeless, can cause a person to lose all self worth, I don’t blame homeless people wanting to drink alcohol all day if it numbs the pain, if it makes them blackout, anything to escape the absolute misery of homelessness. I would say that the people who died on the streets homelessness was a contributing factor
Can’t work won’t work
@John Swan: more like can work won’t work
@Dave Byrne: Too true
@John Swan:
We should do the same as Italy is going to do: refuse 3 job offers in 2 years, lose your dole.
Plus, welfare should always be cut when unemployment is low, not increase it. But no political party in Ireland backs that idea despite being warned about it by the OECD.
So when you hit a recession, and one is soon coming, you’ll have billions more in payouts.
If there is easy welfare money and you’re better off being on the dole than working some jobs, then there’s no incentive to get a job. Oh, and stop importing low-skilled and unskilled people, which is bad in all sorts of ways.
I fear it will never change no matter who’s in government.
Never, ever before has there been SO many Access, training, Vtos, BTEI, Return to work, learning- you name it, initiatives. .if somebody is able to work but now unemployed, it should be mandatory that they are in some Training/Upskilling course whilst receiving Social Welfare. We are fast becoming a nation of ‘ entitlers’ whereby we expect SO much for free but dont ask us for anything in return. Its v obvious- and visible, esp in Summertime when one wants certain jobs done- that there are Many people on SW and yet ABLE to do jobs on the side (with accompanying Cash payments..) . Too many excuses.
@Margate: We are entitled to free housing, social welfare, education and healthcare but we don’t want to work for it…. this BS has to stop
@Margate: they get their payments reduced if they don’t take part in training and are not seeking work. Plus they are made to work up to 30 hours per week in various schemes until they find employment. It’s not a free ride anymore.
@Margate: where do you work?
@Tatjana Kytmannow: what about you, where do you work?
@marian: I work, and damn hard for sure. Whats with ” Where do you work” ??? Why?? And yourself? Never ask a personal question that you wouldn’t be willing to answer yourself..
@Margate: you are the one who posts idiotic comments here not me!
Unless you are physically unable to work, there is pretty much limited or no excuse not be working these days, especially under that age. Lazy a-holes who seem to think the SW is some sort of a career these days. Get up off your holes and pay your own way – that includes thinking you are “entitled” to a home also. Stop expecting hand-outs! Time for a radical overhaul of the SW system
@SkylineSi: if you live in the sticks where there are literally 3 shops and 5 pubs, all which are owned by people who hire only their own children, you have to travel miles of rural road to get to the next town…. it can be quite hard. That’s why I’ve gone back to education.
Start popping out the babies, set for life, no need to ever work a day again
I heard of someone last week who is unemployed and a course came up he was really interested in, But he wasn’t eligible because he wasn’t unemployed long enough.. Make sense of that.
At least those who are under 26 now have much greater opportunities to find work than back in the 80’s and 90’s where your options were the boat to England or get to the USA and work illegally.
Online education and work is possible also.
Unless you’re incapable of working due to illness, disability or homelessness then there’s very little excuse.
@Dotty Dunleary: exactly.when I left school in the eighties there was nothing.one way ticket to London was the only option,and it was the best education I probably ever received as I arrived with about 100punts and a couple of phone numbers and it has stood to me since.
So the counties with the largest populations have the highest numbers of unemployed and the counties with the smallest populations have the lowest numbers. Who would have thought it?
@Earth Traveller: That would rather suggest that it’s the natural percentage of people unable to work… if it was social or educational reasons, different areas would have different proportions
Longford is getting over 1000 jobs with the new center parcs development. The county has 4,000 unemployed.
Can we expect that the unemployment numbers for Longford will be down to 3,000 next year?
@John Mulligan: Doubt it, you will see a population increase of about 500 – 600 though
This is also the age group struggling the most with depression and having to endure the most difficult working conditions. It’s sad to see such animosity towards those young people who are finding it difficult to get a start in life, the stick approach to cutting off payments is more likely to lead to a very dark place than it is to rolling up the sleeves and magically turning into a productive member of society as some seem to think.
@Rochelle: your softly softly approach was tested for years and it does not work.nothing better than reducing their ‘entitlements’ to focus minds.
@John: You want to play sink or swim with the age demographic with the highest rate of suicide in the country? I don’t think you’ll find many swimmers.
Is this 8k including all the so “employed” people on schemes? Unemployment is still very high, they just jig the numbers to suit their agenda.
I’d say it’s a lot more than 8k, official gov figures and all that!
Have a 10% reduction in benefits each week…
it should be onely for 3 years after that should cover rent paid to council or landlord no cash same utilities and card by food onely
There are plenty of jobs out there problem is most are part time or temporary contracts with young people earning same as those on dole but without any assistance ie housing, medical cards etc
And there it goes again. Fyi, all the people saying that it is a lifestyle choice; these people came of working age in the depth of the recession. They will be made to do training or find employment, or they are getting their payments reduced.
Doesn’t matter how much money you throw at this issue, there’s always been this section of society you are basically not only unemployed, but actually unemployable. You could start up a new training program for them but whats the point ? Throwing good money after bad. It was the same during the so-called boom years, the years of ‘full employment’. We still had an unemployment rate that never fell below 4%.
@Tommy Roche: it is probably safe to say most of these longterm unemployed youths are likely suffering from addiction issues too. Who wants to hire an heroin addict that will most likely miss work, or steal from work because of their addiction?
Foot up the Aras
How many of these have since participated in the YESS scheme?
Actually how many youths under 26 yrs are on activation schemes.When people on activation schemes are included in unemployment figures ,it adds 3% to unemployment rate.(CSO)
Our government is taking from the pockets of those who are prepared to work and giving the proceeds to those who couldn’t be bothered. That’s not sustainable or right.
Cut their dole to 30euro a week and then watch them pull their fingers out and get work. There is absolutely no excuse not to work.
The government needs to make it less appealing to stay at home. I’m part of the squeezed middle who pay for it.
Some people in this country on the dole live better than people like me working a 48hr week. Sick of it is an understatement. Lazy bees. Exceptions of course for people with disabilities and illnesses. But having a rake of kids is not an illness.
I once lived in a inner city suburb where the majority of these young people come from. Its heartbreaking to see these young people waste on the dole with the girls having babies and boys selling drugs (part time). How can people drown in a country with a thousand opportunities for anyone to excel??? Why are people coming from thousands of kilometers with no qualification and no English yet they find an economic space to meaningfully exist in while someone born and bred here drown in the midst of plenty???What is responsible for people in their 20′s almost giving up in life????
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