So, if we’re to believe the news this week, Ryanair is going green. I can’t wait to see the adverts. Given the remarks Mr O’Leary has spouted in the past against environmentalists, it will be fascinating to see how they try and reposition the brand to appeal to all the people he’s pissed off over many years.
It sounds like the latest marketing gimmick to me, based on the fact that they’ve updated their aircraft. All credit to them, having an up-to-date efficiently functioning fleet is a very important step in the right direction.
Ideal was thrilled to be profiled by 10:10 this week for reducing our travel-related carbon emissions. Our main reason for buying a hybrid car was to reduce CO2, but its fuel and cost savings are an added bonus.
But when it comes to Ryanair, I can’t help believing their new fleet was actually purchased to keep fuel costs rather than CO2 emissions low. This is fine in itself, but isn’t enough to support overblown claims about being the greenest airline out there.
Sustainability is about balancing social, economic and environmental impacts – areas where the company has lots of history to work on.
Where’s Ryanair’s social responsibility in disrespecting the EU protection afforded to passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled? And making pilots and air crew pay for their own drinking water? O’Leary’s hardly an advert for an employer of choice. This is also a man who prefers to land 70km outside a main city because he can push these suppliers right down on price, instead of creating sustainable relationships, built on trust, with the airports people actually want to reach without emitting more CO2 from a taxi or hire car.
People who fly with Ryanair do so because it’s cheap. The new fleet will keep costs low and so they should be able to retain existing customers. But it’s going to take much more than low emissions to persuade anyone with a conscience to overturn their boycott of the most unethical businessman in the industry.
Debbie Griffiths www.idealCSR.co.uk
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