"Ryanair is the new coal" and becomes the first airline among the ten biggest polluters in the EU

According to figures from the European Commission, Ryanair has become one of the 10 largest polluters in Europe, a first for a company that does not run coal plants.

Data compiled by the Brussels-based Transport & Environment Research Group (T & E) show that Ryanair emitted around 9.9 megatonnes of CO2 in 2018, making the low-cost airline the 10th largest polluter in the bloc.

Power plants – including seven German ones – make up the remainder of the top 10. The biggest emitter is the Belchatow plant in Poland – the world's second largest fossil fuel power station.

"Ryanair is the new coal"

T & E also pointed out that airline emissions had increased (+ 4.9% in 2018 and + 26.3% in the last five years), while emissions from other sectors of emissions trading were down ( -3.9% last year).

The Irish company has surpbaded these numbers with emissions up 6.9% in 2018 and 49% over the last five years.

For Andrew Murphy, head of aviation at T & E, "Ryanair is the new coal in climate".

He also lamented that airlines do not pay fuel taxes or VAT on their tickets.

"Aviation is the biggest climate failure in Europe.The worst thing to do is put all our hopes into a compensation system that gives airlines permission to grow indefinitely."

"But that's exactly what the airlines have concocted within the industry-dominated UN aviation agency. The time has come for a drastic change in the aviation policy of Europe, "he continued.

In a statement, Ryanair said that it was the "greenest and cleanest airline in Europe".

"Pbadengers traveling on Ryanair have the lowest CO2 emissions per kilometer traveled."