Ryanair lays blame with Government as 1,000 jobs go elsewhere
Ryanair will create 1,000 jobs this year as its fleet expands, but claims none of them will be based in Ireland because of the travel tax and government policy towards the country's three main airports.
The airline is set to boost its fleet this year to at least 300 aircraft. It currently operates 270.
Ryanair maintains that this will result in 1,000 new jobs, from cabin crew and pilots to engineers and marketing professionals.
It said that while many of the jobs will probably be taken up by people based in Ireland, none of the positions would actually be based here.
But while the new jobs may not be based here, Ryanair staff will still be paying their income taxes and social charges in Ireland. That results in a substantial return for the Exchequer.
All Ryanair's roughly 8,500 staff pay their taxes in Ireland no matter where they are based in Europe. The bulk of the airline's employees comprise about 5,500 cabin crew and roughly 2,400 pilots.
Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said he expected about 100 of the new jobs to be filled by people currently living in Ireland.
Fees
He maintained that the new Government had continued to support the "failed policy" of its predecessor by supporting the Dublin Airport Authority's "high and rising" airport fees, as well as the €3 travel tax.
The DAA has substantially raised passenger charges at Dublin Airport in the past couple of years and insists that the fees are still low compared to European peers. It has said that it won't increase average charges at Dublin this year.
Mr McNamara said Ryanair was due to take delivery of about 29 aircraft from Boeing this calendar year. That effectively brings its order book with the US manufacturer to a close.
Ryanair and Boeing failed in 2009 to come to an agreement about a new aircraft order.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has previously said the airline could order as many as 400 aircraft from Comac, the fledgling Chinese manufacturer.
- John Mulligan
Irish Independent
