Ciarán Ferrie

The Dublin Airport Authority are in the Oireachtas Transport Committee right now projecting an increase in passenger numbers to 40 million by 2030 and 50 million by 2040. But somehow they are also going to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

It's magical thinking that is completely removed from the reality of the Climate Emergency.

Mar 24 at 11:46amWeb
Show threadCiarán Ferrie2d ago
And to be fair, the members of the Committee are not giving them an easy time of it, although the focus is mainly on the immediate impact on people living near the airport rather than the climate impact of uncontrolled aviation growth.
Show threadCiarán Ferrie2d ago
In a response to a question by @greenparty_ie leader Roderic O'Gorman, the Deputy CEO of DAA has said that there is a trend towards reduced emissions in aviation. This is blatantly untrue.
Show threadCiarán Ferrie1d ago

The airlines are before the Oireachtas Transport Committee this morning, falsely claiming that enforcing the passenger cap "would cause serious economic harm".

I'm looking forward to seeing the "evidence" for that claim.

http://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/0325/1565069-airport-passengers-oireachtas/

Show threadCiarán Ferrie1d ago

Putting my blood pressure under significant stress this morning listening to the Ryanair representative speaking at the Oireachtas Transport Committee.

And the Aer Lingus CEO talking about the fantasy that is "sustainable aviation fuel".

Show threadCiarán Ferrie1d ago

The CEO of Airlines for America claims that "billions of dollars that will be removed from your country" if the passenger cap is removed - no evidence provided.

Willie Walsh saying that GDP and passenger growth have increased at the same level and inferring, incorrectly, that passenger growth is driving GDP.

These guys are charlatans

Show threadCiarán Ferrie1d ago

A representative from Airports Council International Europe talked about people working in the medical devices industry flying direct from the US to Ireland and says "Those firms will not invest in Ireland if they don't have those direct flights".

The fact that no one is suggesting removing those direct flights is, of course, not mentioned.

Pure scaremongering on their behalf.

Show threadCiarán Ferrie1d ago

I want sure I heard this correctly but there it is in the transcript - Deputy CEO of the Dublin Airport Authority, Nick Cole claimed yesterday that emissions were falling in the aviation industry.

The only time emissions have fallen in the aviation industry is at the height of pandemic lockdown. Since then they have bounced back up and continue in an upward trend.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/joint_committee_on_transport/2026-03-24/speech/242/

Show threadCiarán Ferrie1d ago
What he might have been about to clarify was that the emissions per passenger have fallen, and that is true, but unfortunately the increase in passenger numbers worldwide means that any savings that have been made on a per passenger basis are more than cancelled out by growth in the industry.
Show threadSeachaint1d ago
@ccferrie Also, "carbon emissions" are very much only part of how planes warm the planet, and aviation-boosters consistently ignore contrail effects.
Show threadHarriettMB1d ago
@ccferrie Given the Iran situation, and general hostility to western nations being generated by the actions of Israel, USA and their allies, it’s difficult to see why they would want to raise a cap on numbers. If anything, I expect numbers travelling to reduce greatly, because far fewer people will be able to afford to fly at all.
Show threadRonan2d ago
@ccferrie @greenparty_ie it's quite a credibility leap from one UK company trialling a single electric plane to that being a trend in a global industry!
Show threadCiarán Ferrie2d ago
@ronanmcd @greenparty_ie It's pie-in-the-sky stuff. They've made "commitments" to "targets" but with no real legal obligation to deliver or any real risk of consequences if they don't.
Show threadRonan2d ago
@ccferrie @greenparty_ie once they keep making money, they don't care
Show threadPadjo2d ago
@ccferrie @ronanmcd @greenparty_ie there is a pathway to sustainable aviation fuel, it just involves starving half the world so we can use their food to make jet fuel.
Show thread𝔅icyclet𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰2d ago

@ccferrie @greenparty_ie he's seeing the big picture: without fossil fuels, no more aviation for the masses. Fossil fuels will end.

The short-medium term is that it's going to become so expensive, that very few people can afford to fly more than once or twice in a lifetime.

But of course he's omitting that this will not be a consequence of deliberate and rational choices, rather a consequence of uncontrolled addiction to cheap energy that consumes all first and thinks later.

Show threadAnnika Backstrom2d ago
@bicycletting @ccferrie @greenparty_ie My money's on climate change making the weather so bad, flying will no longer be a safe way to travel.
Show threadCorinna Balkow2d ago
@ccferrie and all those planes are going to fly with helium. or green gas.
or just grow wings.
Show threadCiarán Ferrie2d ago
@coba That's as good a guess as anything they have come up with so far