Ryanair is set to trim its winter schedule at Dublin Airport, axing 17 routes for the season. This decision stems from several factors, including rising passenger charges, the airport’s capital expenditure choices and the absence of a significant environmental incentive programme.
Furthermore, the airline will be relocating its fleet of 19 Boeing Gamechanger aircraft to other European Union airports. In response, Dublin Airport’s operator, Daa, expressed surprise and disappointment at the move but firmly rejected what it deemed to be unsubstantiated claims by Ryanair.
Ryanair asserted that the relocation of the Gamechanger fleet is a response to other airports providing incentives to airlines that boost passenger numbers by utilising lower-CO2-emitting and quieter aircraft. The airline contended that passenger charges at Dublin Airport would surge by 45%, a claim disputed by Daa.
Notably, Ryanair has been highly critical of Dublin Airport’s €250 million (£217 million) plan to construct a tunnel beneath part of the airfield. Ryanair’s CEO, Eddie Wilson, justified the decision by stating that “there are no incentives at Dublin to grow traffic or reward investment in aircraft with lower CO2 and noise emissions.”
