The Irish government is focused on enabling the country’s booming aviation industry to grow further, said Leo Varadkar, the minister for enterprise, trade and employment.

Speaking at the Farnborough International Airshow, the former Taoiseach said: “It was great to have the opportunity … to see what the future of aviation looks like [at Farnborough], but also to support a lot of Irish companies that are very involved in aviation and aerospace and the space industry as well. And we’re keen to support them as a government to help them to grow further.

“We have a long tradition of being at the cutting edge of aviation. A lot of people wouldn’t know this, but pretty much half of all aircraft leased in the world are leased through Ireland.

“We have a very big MRO sector. People know about Ryanair, a very innovative company headquartered in Ireland that has democratised aviation. And also we have a lot of small new tech companies working in exciting spaces

Sustainability

Sustainability was front and centre at this year’s Farnborough gathering, and that was no different for the Irish companies displaying their products.

Varadkar commented: “It’s been really encouraging to see the extent to which [sustainability] is very much on the agenda here.

“I’m somebody who believes that we can achieve climate action, that we can turn the tide on climate change, and still fly around the world.

“I believe that is possible. And history teaches us that most of the time, technology and science provide solutions to our big problems. And I believe that can be the case in aviation as well.”
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