Ryanair 2012 Annual Report Download - page 75

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Environmental Regulation
Aircraft Noise Regulations. Ryanair is subject to international, national and, in some cases, local noise
regulation standards. EU and Irish regulations have required that all aircraft operated by Ryanair comply with
Stage 3 noise requirements since April 1, 2002. All of Ryanair‘s aircraft currently comply with these
regulations. Certain airports in the U.K. (including London Stansted and London Gatwick) and continental
Europe have established local noise restrictions, including limits on the number of hourly or daily operations or
the time of such operations.
Company Facilities. Environmental controls are generally imposed under Irish law through property
planning legislation, specifically the Local Government (Planning and Development) Acts of 1963 to 1999, the
Planning and Development Act 2000 and regulations made thereunder. At Dublin Airport, Ryanair operates on
land controlled by the DAA. Planning permission for its facilities has been granted in accordance with both the
zoning and planning requirements of Dublin Airport. There is also specific Irish environmental legislation
implementing applicable EU directives and regulations, to which Ryanair adheres. From time to time, noxious
or potentially toxic substances are held on a temporary basis within Ryanair‘s engineering facilities at Dublin
Airport, Glasgow (Prestwick), London (Stansted), Frankfurt (Hahn), Stockholm (Skavsta), Oslo (Rygge) and
Kaunas. However, at all times Ryanair‘s storage and handling of these substances complies with the relevant
regulatory requirements. At Ryanair‘s Glasgow (Prestwick) and London (Stansted) maintenance facilities, all
normal waste is removed in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act of 1996 and Duty of Care Waste
Regulations. For special waste removal, Ryanair operates under the Special Waste Regulations 1998. At all
other facilities Ryanair adheres to all local and EU regulations.
Ryanair’s Policy on Noise and Emissions. Ryanair is committed to reducing emissions and noise
through investments in ―next generation‖ aircraft and engine technologies and the implementation of certain
operational and commercial decisions to minimize the environmental impact of its operations. According to the
latest Air Travel Carbon and Energy Efficiency Report published by Brighter Planet, Ryanair is the industry
leader in terms of environmental efficiency, and the Company is constantly working towards improving its
performance.
In December 2005, Ryanair completed the fleet replacement program it commenced in 1999. All of
Ryanair‘s older Boeing 737-200A aircraft were replaced with Boeing 737-800 ―next generation‖ aircraft, and
Ryanair now operates a single-aircraft-type fleet of Boeing 737-800 ―next generation‖ aircraft with an average
age of just over 3.8 years. The design of the new aircraft is aimed at minimizing drag, thereby reducing the rate
of fuel burn and noise levels. The engines are also quieter and more fuel-efficient. Furthermore, by moving to an
all Boeing 737-800 ―next generation‖ fleet, Ryanair reduced the unit emissions per passenger due to the inherent
capacity increase in the Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The Boeing 737-800 ―next generation‖ aircraft have a
significantly superior fuel-burn to passenger-kilometer ratio than Ryanair‘s former fleet of Boeing 737-200A
aircraft. See ―—Aircraft‖ above for details on Ryanair‘s fleet plan.
Ryanair has also installed winglets on all of its existing aircraft and all future aircraft will also be fitted
with winglets. Winglets reduce both the rate of fuel burn and carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 4%
and also reduce noise emissions.
In addition, Ryanair has distinctive operational characteristics that management believes are helpful to
the general environment. In particular, Ryanair:
operates with a high-seat density of 189 seats and an all-economy configuration, as opposed to
the 162 seats and two-class configuration of the Boeing 737-800 aircraft used by traditional
network airlines, reducing fuel burn and emissions per seat-kilometer flown;
has reduced per-passenger emissions through higher load factors;
better utilizes existing infrastructure by operating out of underutilized secondary and regional
airports throughout Europe, which limits the use of holding patterns and taxiing times, thus
reducing fuel burn and emissions and reducing the need for new airport infrastructure;