Ryanair CEO, Michael O”Leary, has fired a series of explosive salvos at both the environmental lobby and UK politicians, who have attacked the aviation industry of late.
”The environmental hysteria goes on every time you turn on a TV,” he said, ”but the Stern report confirms that 1.6% of greenhouse gas is from aviation. Europe”s CO2 emissions are 3 % [aviation] and marine emissions are 6%, but I don”t see anyone complaining about the ferries.”
O”Leary implored the politicians to have a ”sensible debate” about power generation and road transport. ”There is no point in making a special case that allows greedy financial ministers such as Gordon Brown to tax air passenger duty, which is regressive and ineffectual. This will do less for the environment than Brown giving up his SUV. We should tell thieving politicians like Gordon Brown to stop.”
The Ryanair boss also launched an attack against Brussels bureaucrats who he believed were imposing excessive red tape on smaller airports, many of to which his airline operates. ”They want to regulate airports but we believe that empty sites such as Kerry and Leeds Bradford should be free to enter into any agreements with any airlines that they want.
”Ryanair has demonstrated that we can take on the world and beat them,” he concluded.