Ryanair to cut flight schedules between Ireland and UK until ‘draconian travel restrictions’ are lifted
RYANAIR will cut its flight schedules between Ireland and the UK until “draconian travel restrictions” introduced in each country are removed.
The airline believes punters are much less likely to travel now between the two countries, given a negative Covid test taken no more than 72 hours before arrival here from the UK must be presented.
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It says it now expects to carry below 1.25million passengers this month, compared to 10.8million in the same month last year.
The flier also said traffic might drop to as low as 500,000 passengers in February and March and told how the new restrictions meant it would “significantly cut its flight schedules” from Thursday, January 21.
The move comes in response to both the Irish and UK governments once again reinforcing strict lockdowns amid outbreaks of Covid-19.
The Government here has also extended a travel ban on all passengers coming to Ireland from South Africa and the UK due to the two new strains of the virus circulating in those regions.
The ban was extended until midnight January 8 and passengers flying in from those countries after that point must present a negative PCR Covid test from within the last 72 hours at passport control.
People who fail to present a negative test result will be faced with six months in prison or a €2,500 fine.
‘LESS LIKELY TO TRAVEL’
CEO of Ryanair Eddie Wilson said: “People are going to be less likely to travel, particularly when you’ve got to get tests. That would have an effect on what you call the booking curve, so people I suppose. And that’s going to have an effect on our ability to have flights that are not hugely loss making.”
He added: “Everyone who is affected will start to get their emails today. As we’re dealing with a lot less than at the start of this Covid crisis, the refund process will be straightforward. You can move your flight or process a refund directly through the link you’ll get on the email.”
These new Ryanair cutbacks will reduce the full year, which is recorded until March — a year on from the beginning of the worldwide pandemic, traffic forecast from currently below 35million to between 26million to 30million passengers.
EXPLANATION DEMAND
Ryanair called on the Irish government to explain “why Denmark, with a population of 5m, has vaccinated 40,000 citizens by Wednesday”, a figure higher than here with only 15,314 first jabs of two recorded.
The company insists Ireland’s stringent travel measures are “inexplicable and ineffective” given that border between the north and south remains open.
CEO Wilson suggested people want to know exactly when the over 70s category will be vaccinated so normality can begin to resume in some form.
He told Pat Kenny on Newstalk: “This is a logistics exercise. If they can get that vaccine, then we can have some chance of restoring our economy. And I think that’s in everybody’s interest.”
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Meanwhile, Ryanair is being investigated by the UK’s Advertising Standards Agency after a “jab and go” ad campaign promoting air travel as Coronavirus vaccinations are rolled out attracted over 1,600 complaints.
The ad on the airline’s website features an image of a syringe and a bottle branded “vaccine,” alongside the slogans, “book summer,” “vaccines are coming” and “jab & go,” accompanied by promotions for budget flights.
Wilson defended the ad campaign, adding: “It’s factually accurate.”
