Air fares will rise by 10pc this summer due to growth restrictions at Dublin airport, Michael O’Leary has said.
“With no capacity growth in Dublin, airfares will increase by between 5pc and 10pc.
If oil prices fall, it might be less than 5pc. If oil prices rise. It will be more than 10pc.
At peak periods, school, holidays, July, or August, getting on our off the island of Ireland will be significantly more expensive because we do not have a transport minister, who is willing to act to lift an arbitrary planning cap at Dublin Airport, and it is within his power to lift that cap.”
“If not, government, should absolutely set national policy. You cannot have the main airport in Ireland and its growth set by a local council and some bogus planning restriction from 15 years ago.”
“Other airports are laughing at the fact that Dublin cannot grow. If it is left to the planning process, this cap will not be lifted for three or four years.”
By the time it has gone through planning, and been appealed, judicially reviewed, the rest of it.
We fully accept, by all means, go through the planning process, but what do you do in the interim?
Government stepping in if necessary to pass legislation to say we are lifting this cap while it is being considered by An Bórd Pleanála.
We have just spent €250m on a runway, what did we do that for if we are going to block traffic at 32m passengers?
