Aviation

Ireland is a true global leader in aviation leasing, and we must replicate that success

Tony Ryan’s legacy to Irish business extends far beyond the hundreds of Ryanair jets that bear his name today

Tony Ryan was a pioneer in aviation long before Ryanair was formed: his legacy to Irish business extends far beyond the hundreds of Ryanair jets that bear his name today.

About a decade ago, in the depths of a freezing January, a few hundred people gathered in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin for a conference.

It was noticeable that at a time when few tourists were about and the corporate world was still recovering from the Christmas break, it was bursting with activity. These men – and they were mostly men – were the powerbrokers of the world’s aviation finance industry and they simply had ...