Latest news with #IrishAviationAuthority
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Irish Independent
Disruptive air passengers warned of zero tolerance as almost 500,000 to pass through Dublin Airport this weekend
It comes as there has been a continued rise in industry reports of unruly behaviour to the Irish Aviation Authority, although the majority of passengers travel responsibly. This trend has seen year-on-year increases as airlines have encouraged crews to increase the reporting of unruly behaviour. More than 30 incidents have already been reported to Dublin Airport Garda station so far this year, which represents an almost 80pc increase compared to the entirety of 2024. The three most common incidents this year have been offensive behaviour onboard aircraft, obstructing or assaulting an authorised officer and being intoxicated onboard an aircraft. Last year also saw a 50pc increase in incidents of disruptive passenger behaviour reported to gardaí at Dublin Airport, compared to 2023. The aviation industry has renewed its shared commitment to tackle disruptive passenger behaviour through the ongoing #NotOnMyFlight campaign. The initiative, which was launched last year, is receiving growing support from aviation and public sector partners. It aims to ensure passengers are aware of the serious consequences of unruly behaviour, as well as supporting airport and airline staff through training and policy, or facilitating enforcement, like bans and prosecutions, where necessary. Since last year, the campaign has expanded to include Ireland's largest aviation union, Fórsa, and the Irish Airline Pilots' Association (IALPA), both of whom have formally signed the industry's joint declaration on unruly passenger behaviour. Jim Gavin, Chief Operations Officer of the Irish Aviation Authority, said: 'The #NotOnMyFlight campaign continues to reflect our strong commitment to supporting frontline airport staff, flight and cabin crew, and to safeguarding passengers by making it clear that unruly passenger behaviour will not be tolerated. "As we head into one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, we're reminding all passengers travelling through Irish airports that respectful behaviour is not just expected - it's essential to ensuring a safe and positive flying experience for everyone,' he added. Paul Cleary, Assistant Commissioner in the Dublin Metropolitan Region of An Garda Síochána, said there is 'no excuse for anti-social or disruptive behaviour'. 'Incidents of unruly conduct in airports and on planes can have serious consequences for both passengers and staff. It can be a frightening experience that endangers passengers and crew, while it can also mean delayed flights and missed connections,' he said. 'Over the past year, we have been working with our aviation partners under a joint declaration to address disruptive and dangerous behaviour, and we remain very committed to that. "While the majority of people travel respectfully, An Garda Síochána is prepared to act where necessary to ensure a safe and secure environment for all who travel through our airports,' he added. Fórsa's National Secretary, Katie Morgan, said that 'our members in airlines and airports are often the first responders to unruly passenger behaviour'. "As a trade union, the potential risk of unruly passenger behaviour to the health and safety of our members is a crucial matter of concern,' she said. 'We've seen first-hand the effect that some unruly passenger behaviour has had on our members. "Aviation workers have a right to a safe working environment and to be treated with dignity and respect. "They prioritise the travelling public's safety, and this campaign helps prioritise their safety,' she added. It comes as almost half a million passengers are expected to pass through Dublin Airport this June bank holiday weekend. The airport is expecting more than 115,000 passengers every day between Friday and Monday, with a total of 480,000 set to pass through both terminals. This four-day period will see close to 250,000 passengers departing from Dublin Airport, with around 230,000 passengers arriving, including thousands of tourists from across the world. The busiest day over the weekend will be tomorrow, Friday, May 30, when almost 124,000 passengers are expected to travel through the airport. Therefore, passengers are advised to arrive at their terminal two hours in advance of a short-haul flight and three hours before a long-haul flight. Dublin Airport spokesperson, Graeme McQueen, said this June bank holiday is set to break some records. "The peak tourism season is here and demand to travel this summer is really high, with this set to be the busiest June bank holiday ever at Dublin Airport,' he said. 'Indeed, the numbers travelling this weekend - and over the summer - would be even higher if it weren't for the passenger cap on Dublin Airport which continues to put off airlines from bringing new and additional routes to Ireland, denying the Irish hospitality sector of important tourism revenue,' he added.
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- RTÉ News
Marked increase in disruptive behaviour at Dublin Airport
There has been an 80% increase in incidents of disruptive passenger behaviour reported at Dublin Airport so far this year compared to the entire number of incidents recorded in 2024, according to figures from the Irish Aviation Authority. As the airport prepares for its busiest weekend ever, the aviation industry has launched a campaign to address disruptive behaviour. In the first five months of this year Dublin Airport garda station has dealt with more than 30 incidents of disruptive passenger behaviour. That figure is up 80% on the total number of incidents recorded in 2024 and those figures were also up 50% on 2023. Offensive behaviour, obstruction or assaults on an authorised officer and people intoxicated onboard aircraft have been the most common issues this year. With more than half a million passengers due to travel through Dublin Airport this weekend, the airline industry has come together to promote an awareness campaign called #Notonmyflight. Garda Assistant Commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan Region Paul Cleary warned these incidents endanger passengers and crew and can also result in delayed flights and missed connections. "There is no excuse for anti-social or disruptive behaviour. "Over the past year we have been working with our aviation partners under a joint declaration to address disruptive and dangerous behaviour, and we remain very committed to that. "While the majority of people travel respectfully, An Garda Síochána is prepared to act where necessary to ensure a safe and secure environment for all who travel through our airports." Trade union Fórsa's national secretary, Katie Morgan, said unruly passenger behaviour is a crucial health and safety concern for its members. "We've seen first-hand the effect that some unruly passenger behaviour has had on our members. "Aviation workers have a right to a safe working environment and to be treated with dignity and respect.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Irish Aviation Authority's legal bill hits €1.6m after passenger cap battle at Dublin Airport
In its new annual report published yesterday, the Irish Aviation Authority reveals its rising legal bill, spurred by the High Court actions. Last December, the Irish Independent revealed that the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) was seeking to raise an additional €1.2m in fee revenue this year to cover the cost of litigation taken against it by Aer Lingus, Ryanair, the DAA and a group of US carriers regarding the passenger cap at Dublin Airport. The total charge it will levy for regulating take-off and landing slots will more than double from €700,000 to €1.9m, 'to cover the additional cost of litigation against the IAA', it told stakeholders at the end of last year. The IAA reported a profit after tax of €1.9m last year The IAA said that it generated revenue of €37.4m last year, compared to €90.7m in 2023. The sharp decline is due to the air navigation services previously provided by the IAA being hived off in 2023 to a new entity called AirNav Ireland. The IAA reported a profit after tax of €1.9m last year. The authority maintained oversight of 1,435 registered aircraft during 2024, including 516 in the Irish aircraft operators' certificate fleet and 612 general aviation aircraft, further cementing Ireland's status as a global aviation hub. Dublin Airport is the only so-called co-ordinated airport in Ireland, where take-off and landing slots are regulated by the IAA. The IAA planned to limit take-off and landing slots at Dublin Airport last winter and this summer in an effort to ensure Dublin Airport didn't breach a 32-million annual passenger cap. But Ryanair, Aer Lingus and a lobby group for US airlines challenged the decision by the IAA, arguing that it had no right to cap available slots to ensure Dublin Airport adheres to planning conditions. The DAA had also taken legal action against the IAA – but it argued that the proposed IAA limits were insufficient to prevent Dublin Airport from breaching the passenger cap. The High Court first put a stay on the IAA decision in relation to the proposed slot limits for this summer. The court later put a stay on the IAA decision in relation to slots for next winter. A number of matters have now been referred to the European Court of Justice for determination.
Irish Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
My son wants to be a pilot. Is there any way of learning without breaking the bank?
My son is very interested in becoming a commercial airline pilot. Could you outline how he would go about doing this? From what I understand, it is hugely expensive. Is this the case? I put your question to Sé Pardy, an Aer Lingus captain and a manager at Simtech Aviation Training. If you are interested, try contacting a local airfield that is a registered training facility and take a trial lesson with an instructor to provide a good idea of your suitability for a career in aviation. The next step is to pass a 'class one medical exam', as laid out by the Irish Aviation Authority. There are several conditions that prohibit you from flying, such as colour blindness. The authority has a list of training and medical facilities. READ MORE Next up is securing a licence. There are three options and qualifications to earning a commercial pilot licence before you are accepted to fly passengers. One option is 'fully sponsored training'. Apply to an airline that provides all the cost of your flight training to approximately 200 flying hours and pass the 14 Air Transport Pilot Licence exams. If you pass, you will generally be offered a position as first officer. These positions are highly sought after. The Aer Lingus Future Pilot Programme, for example, could have 9,000 people applying for 20-30 positions. Another option is self-funded or mentored programmes. These are commercial pilot programmes where you are required to fund your own training at a cost of €100,000-120,000. Your progress will be monitored by an airline that may fast-track you into their organisation. Your training will be based on their standard operating procedures of this airline to make transition easier to your day-to-day job. Employment is not guaranteed. [ My son wants to study sustainability but has no idea what course to choose. Can you help? Opens in new window ] The last option is military training: some pilots will receive their flight training with the Air Corps as an officer and, when released from service, may transition into civilian aviation. The Irish Air Corps generally advertises annually for cadets. There are many exams you have to pass. For a Commercial Pilot's Licence, you need an Air transport Pilot Licence – Theoretical Knowledge. You can also secure a Private Pilot Licence which allows you to fly non-commercially. It can be very expensive. Obviously if you are fully funded you are in a fortunate position and it generally will not cost you money, but will require your dedication, all your ability and sole focus. If you are funding yourself, the costs range from €80,000-€120,000, depending on the flight academy you attend, plus another €20,000-€35,000 depending on the aircraft you are specifically trained to fly. Then you must find a job, which may require further investment in interview performance training. Career prospects are very good, though aviation is a cyclical industry. If you are determined, resourceful and passionate, it can be a wonderful career.
Irish Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Three-quarters of large Irish companies have wage gaps in favour of men
Goodbody Stockbrokers , Cantor Fitzgerald, the Irish Aviation Authority and Uniphar's Allcare and Hickey's Pharmacy groups were among the 25 companies which reported the highest median hourly pay gap between men and women employees last year, according to data collected by Under the Gender Pay Gap Information Act , companies with more than 150 employees are required to create and publish a report outlining their gender pay gap across a number of metrics. Across the data for nearly 750 companies collected by approximately three-quarters of companies had a median hourly wage gap in favour of men with the largest disparity at Uniphar's Allcare Pharmacies of 60.4 per cent. Also among the five largest wage gaps was the Irish Aviation Authority, with a 54 per cent media pay gap, which, it said, 'primarily arises due to lower numbers of females in specialist aviation roles such as pilot and engineering roles, as well as low numbers in managerial roles such as accountable manager or nominated postholder roles.' READ MORE Goodbody Stockbrokers had a median hourly wage gap of 46.6 per cent, with its mean standing at 41.5 per cent. Goodbody said that 'fewer females than males continue to occupy the highest paid roles in the firm', with just 15 per cent of its highest paid quartile being women as opposed to 55 per cent of its lowest quartile. [ Gender pay gap increased at three government departments during 2024 Opens in new window ] The Irish wing of US investment group Cantor Fitzgerald had mean and median hourly pay gaps of more than 40 per cent, with women making up just 17 per cent of their top 25 per cent of earners despite making up 37 per cent of their total staff. Of the remaining companies, nearly 20 per cent reported a pay gap in favour of women, with the largest disparity in the Chief State Solicitor's Office which reported a pay gap of 40.18 per cent. The Economic & Social Research Institute found an average median pay gap of 30.9 per cent in favour of women, which it said 'reflects not just the higher proportion of females in senior roles but also the fact that pay scales are wider at senior levels.' Construction companies made up eight of the 15 companies with the lowest representation of women in the top 25 per cent of earners. Conversely, 12 of the 15 companies with the lowest representation of men in the lowest quartile of pay, are in the human health and social work activities sector, with women making up between 83.6 per cent and 96 per cent of the top earners. The data for nearly 750 companies was compiled from the individual reports by technology worker Jennifer Keane, founder of PayGap,ie, who said her experience of gender pay bias served as the motivation for the project. The project is the product of nearly 200 hours of work since the start of the year, she said, noting that, in her experience, nearly 15 per cent of the pay gap reports include errors or omissions. All organisations with more than 50 employees must also report on their gender pay gap for the first time this year and Ms Keane will look to expand her database when that happens, she said, noting that a State-run database for the information is due to launch this year.
