FollowFine Gael MEP and member of the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism Colm Markey has described today’s announcement by Ryanair as a crucial boost to the Irish aviation sector as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline has announced plans to recruit 5,000 new staff in Ireland and the EU over the next five years and invest €50m in a new training centre in Santry Co. Dublin. Ryanair has said it hopes a large number of the jobs will be creating locally.
The Midlands-North-West MEP, who represents constituents in the commuter belt counties, said it’s fantastic news for region.
“This announcement by Ryanair comes at the most crucial time for the aviation sector as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The new €50 million training centre and 5,000 jobs is a fantastic a vote of confidence in Ireland and the wider industry. It is my hope that as many of these positions as possible can be retained in the locality”, he stated.
Markey added that the last 18 months have been devastating for the EU’s aviation sector.
“During the second quarter of 2020, passenger numbers dropped by more than 91% across all EU Member States, resulting in thousands of job losses and some airlines going out of business. Although it could take some time for the sector to get back to pre-pandemic levels, today’s announcement by Ryanair is a positive first step in the recovery. As my colleague Alan Farrell TD points out, ‘creating a stable and reliable aviation sector benefits everyone living in Ireland’. We must now keep up the momentum and explore what the European Union can do to help both the transport and tourism sectors get back on their feet in the long-term”, he concluded.
