Viewpoint: Mewl? We’Ll Shoutfor Fair Air Play!

Cultra Residents’ Association says its finds Mr O’Leary’s remarks offensive but typical of the man. It is a measured response to the Ryanair chief executive who makes such abuse his trademark.

Although the phrase he used was outrageous, it should be set in the context of an ad-lib address to a First Trust business breakfast in Belfast, during which few subjects were taboo. In a typically irreverent performance, the Ryanair chief executive lambasted everyone from Bertie Ahern to Gordon Brown, taking a few swings along the way at Aer Lingus, bmi, and Belfast International.

If he were not such a successful businessman and mercurial character, his views would be swiftly discounted. But here is someone who has turned an ailing airline into a dominant carrier which could yet swallow up Aer Lingus.

That CV will, however, be of little reassurance to residents living in areas on the flight path to City Airport. They are justifiably concerned that expansion at the airport will mean more flights, more noise and more disturbance.

Certainly, whatever Mr O’Leary thinks, no short cuts must be taken with the forthcoming planning application for an extension to the runway. The proposal must be subject to due process and if needs be, a public inquiry must be facilitated.

The airport is a business and cannot be blamed for seeking to expand, although the legitimate concerns of local residents must never be ignored. Passengers who use the airport appreciate the convenience that it offers, and a longer runway would facilitate the range of destinations served – as well as increasing employment levels.

Although modern aircraft are quieter, they still cause disturbance for many people living in close proximity to the airport.

Hence it is vital that the night-time curfew at City Airport is maintained.

As is his wont, Mr O’Leary has stirred up a hornet’s nest but residents’ groups should not be overly exercised by his throwaway remarks. Instead, they should await the planning application and then make appropriate representations.

Belfast City Airport has always played by the rules when it comes to seeking amendments to its planning consent and there is no reason to believe that things will be different this time round.

City Airport will continue to have a role to play in the Northern Ireland aviation scene, but this latest spat is a further pointer that major expansion must, as the Government White Paper recommends, take place at Belfast International. An airport with no neighbours to worry about will always be better placed to accommodate growth.

(c) 2007 Belfast Telegraph. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.