What will it profit a man if he gain the whole world but loses his airline? Nothing, according to Michael O’Leary of RyanAir….

There truly is something a bit parodic about Michael O’Leary. The confrontational public, and for all we know private, image. The idea that has gained a currency in Irish society that he, and Ryanair, somehow single handedly altered the European aviation industry (not true… ). The off the cuff statements, that like RyanAir advertising, are – despite appearances – hugely considered and so on… That said, it makes great (if unbelievably irritating) copy, and is an excellent promotional strategy.

Still, reading today that:

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: A DECISION by the European Parliament to include aviation in its CO2 Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) could eventually cost consumers an additional €50 on every flight, the chief executive of Ryanair has warned.

…I can’t help but feel he’s got his priorities a little – skewed.

Michael O’Leary of Ryanair said the ruling, which parliamentarians described as an “enormous stride” in safeguarding the environment against greenhouse gases, would not reduce emissions, but instead “further damage European airlines” at a time when oil costs some $140 a barrel.

“These clowns in the European Parliament seem determined to destroy the European airline industry with these discriminatory taxation penalties,” he said.

“Aviation is not the cause of, nor the solution to, CO2 emissions or global warming. Increasing taxation on air travel will have no effect on either emissions or global warming, it will just raise the cost of air travel for ordinary European consumers.”

He would, of course, have been more accurate had he said that aviation is not the sole cause, nor the single solution to CO2 emissions or global warming. But of course it is a major contributor and it is part of the solution. Which makes his point that it won’t decrease emissions a bit odd because if it does hit demand for travel then passenger numbers drop and so do journeys made. And the reality of climate change does require ordinary European passengers, or extraordinary ones, to accept that there will be changes in the future.

And it’s interesting to look at the stats because in the European context we read that…

Emissions from aviation currently account for about 3% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions, but they are increasing fast – by 87% since 1990 – as air travel becomes cheaper without its environmental costs being addressed. For example, someone flying from London to New York and back generates roughly the same level of emissions as the average person in the EU does by heating their home for a whole year.

The rapid growth in aviation emissions contrasts with the success of many other sectors of the economy in reducing emissions.

Without action, the growth in emissions from flights from EU airports will by 2012 cancel out more than a quarter of the 8% emission reduction the EU-15 must achieve to reach its Kyoto Protocol target. By 2020, aviation emissions are likely to more than double from present levels.

Interesting to note that the The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has “estimated that aviation is responsible for around 3.5% of anthropogenic climate change, a figure which includes both CO2 and non-CO2 induced effects” … which is close to it’s percentage of EU gas emissions.

3.5% may seem relatively little, but looking at the figure for transport as a total of emissions (c. 15%) we see that it is about a quarter. So a quarter of all emissions of all transport globally is caused by aviation. I wouldn’t be investing in the airlines if I were Michael… And incidentally if ever an excuse for EU sponsored action were needed, for national governments tend to run scared of the O’Leary’s, Bransons and Smurfits of this world…

A further cause of his discomfort might be the following…

…a new regulation debated yesterday could mean passengers will soon be able to see exactly what they have to pay for their flights when booking online.
Under the regulation, fares displayed would have to include all taxes and charges that are generally added to the basic ticket price as the online booking process proceeds. The ruling should come into force later this year.

It’s all politics… it truly is… heh, heh…