Ciarán Ferrie2d ago

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.

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 Ferrie
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.
Mar 25 at 8:58pmWeb
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.