20 years ago the first Ryanair flight left Stockholm Skavsta. In these days of sharpened arguments pro and con an Aviation tax, it is well worth reflecting on the positive effects of the airport and the airline from a climate perspective. Stockholm Skavsta saves the climate through its location. Economic calculations by Ryanair have generated a climate bonus.

Aviation tax is topical in Sweden as the Government is preparing to include this in the Budget Bill later this year and the opposition oppose to the idea.  Arguments pro and con are all connected to saving the climate. The relative climate advantages of Stockholm Skavsta Airport and Ryanair are rarely mentioned, but well worth highlighting.

Less fuel used when flying to and from Stockholm Skavsta

The comparative climate advantage of Stockholm Skavsta is its’ location south of Stockholm city centre. This means that all planes on routes to and from most destinations in Europe use less fuel than were the plane trafficking i.e. Arlanda which is located north of Stockholm city centre.

Less luggage saves fuel

The comparative climate advantages for Ryanair stems from economic calculations. Each plane has at least 90 per cent of the seats sold and the airline has actively encouraged passengers to fly with as little luggage as possible thus saving fuel. Since the airline is growing rapidly its’ airplanes are new.

Ryanair och Wizzair growing rapidly

All forecasts predict an continuous growth in international traffic and global agreements are important for ensuring that all actors are working towards the same goal. Ryanair is the worlds’ 5th largest airline (the only European ) and introduced in 2016 200 new routes, almost double the amount compared to the runner-up, EasyJet, which in turn was closely followed by Wizzair with 100 new routes (the latter is also trafficking Stockholm Skavsta).

20 years with Ryanair has meant radical changes for travellers as well as other airlines. We look forward to the next 20 years when the number of passengers at Stockholm Skavsta airport is expected to reach 5,7 million persons.