Eamon Ryan says Michael O’Leary's comments ‘inaccurate and inflammatory’ in Dublin airport row

The two have been trading verbal blows over a 32 million a year passenger cap at Dublin Airport, which Fingal County Council has applied to increase to 40 million.

In an open letter to Mr O’Leary on Friday, Mr Ryan said he “fundamentally” disagreed with Mr O’Leary, calling his allegations “completely false”.

In his own open letter earlier on Friday, Ryanair’s combative chief executive had called on Mr Ryan to resign in favour of “someone competent” to deliver Ireland’s aviation policy.

Mr O’Leary has repeatedly criticised the passenger cap and Green politicians who support it.

In the letter, Mr O’Leary also accused Mr Ryan of disappearing during the airport security crisis in summer 2022 and during recent airport closures due to drone flights.

In his response letter Mr Ryan said that Mr O’Leary was “completely wrong” and said his accusations about his handling of the security queues and drones were “false”.

“I fundamentally disagree with the arguments and content of your letter dated February 9, 2024,” Mr Ryan wrote.

“Throughout this whole period, you have written many letters that have been highly personalised, inaccurate and inflammatory. I have invited you, through your executives, to meet with me, to discuss any issues you have face to face. Those invitations have never once been taken up.”

In a scathing open letter to Mr Ryan published on Friday, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary accused the transport minister of having “no idea” about and trying to “frustrate” the aviation sector.

The letter escalates a row that saw Mr Ryan accuse the Ryanair boss of being "personally abusive” after Mr O’Leary called the Green Party leader “incompetent" and an “idiot”.

The two men have been engaged in a war of words over the Green Party's opposition to raising the 32 million passenger cap at Dublin Airport.

Dublin Airport has submitted an application to Fingal County Council to expand its capacity to 40 million passengers a year.

The move is backed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar but it has been questioned by a number of Green politicians, including Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman, who has made a submission to Fingal County Council.

Mr Varadkar said the proposal needs to go through the planning process and that noise and sustainability concerns need to be addressed. Mr Varadkar said he disagreed with Mr O'Leary's view.

Mr O’Leary has repeatedly hit out Mr Ryan over recent days, including during an interview with RTE’s Claire Byrne last week. The letter ups the ante in the ongoing row.

Today's News in 90 seconds - 9th February 2024

“Despite your almost 4 year tenure as Ireland's Minister for Transport, it is clear that you either have no idea what your own Governments [sic] National Aviation Policy is, or your are determined to frustrate this policy,” Mr O’Leary wrote in the letter on Friday.

“Over the past 4 years, while you have been Ireland's Transport Minister, you have failed to take any action to advance the goals of this National Aviation Policy.

“You disappeared during the security queues crisis at Dublin in Summer 2022. You disappeared again while drones closed Dublin Airport on 6 occasions during Spring 2023, and lamentably you have failed to take any action when an arbitrary and untenable traffic cap of 32m passengers now means that Dublin Airport and Ireland's aviation industry cannot grow for at least 3 or 4 years while you abrogate responsibility for National Aviation Policy to a local Council in Fingal.

“Other EU airports are now laughing at Ireland's "traffic cap" while they win this growth (some 15m new passengers in 2024 alone) from Ryanair, which your inaction has lost for Ireland. If you are unwilling to implement Ireland's National Aviation Policy as Minister for Transport, why don't you resign and let someone competent deliver this traffic, tourism and jobs growth for Ireland?”

The transport minister has been contacted for comment.