Airline CEO says ‘flygskam’ movement has had little impact on the aviation industry
Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary has criticised the “flight-shaming” movement promoted by Greta Thunberg and other climate campaigners, saying they are peddling a “fallacy” that air travel could be replaced by other modes of transport.
Mr O’Leary said efforts by campaigners to reduce air travel have so far had no impact on reducing airlines’ carbon footprint.
“I don’t pay too much attention to them,” the Irish executive said. “There is very little evidence of the impact of flight-shaming or Greta Thunberg.”
The comments came as Ryanair posted record half-year profits of €1.4bn, higher than the €1.2bn posted in 2019 – the last relevant comparator given the impact of the pandemic. The results were broadly in line with investor expectations.