As UK Joins Rest Of Europe & Removes Restrictions

Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, today (Fri, 3^rd July) called on the Irish Government to remove any confusion over air travel to/from Europe as the UK today joined with the rest of Europe, and removed flight restrictions/quarantines on flights and holidays to the EU. Ireland is now the only EU country with flight restrictions on families flying to Europe as it continues with its failed visitor quarantine, which during June saw less than 50% of follow up phone calls being answered.

Ryanair also criticised the poor travel advice of NPHET in recent days, which called for European holidays to be cancelled, at a time when the scientific advice of the European Union (through ECDC/EASA) has permitted the safe resumption of air travel across the EU from 14^th June last. Why is Ireland now the only exception to this EU coordinated approach? There is no scientific basis for NPHET recommending against air travel to and from Ireland, when the EU and the ECDC have issued guidelines for the safe resumption of air travel on 20^th May last.

NPHET have promised, but failed to deliver, an effective track and tracing system (unlike other EU countries) and NPHET have presided over a failed quarantine system, during which less than 50% of quarantine follow up phone calls were even answered during the month of June.

Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said:

 “It is now 2 weeks since most other EU countries (many of them with lower Covid rates than Ireland) removed EU flight restrictions & quarantines. Last night, the UK joined this trend by removing travel restrictions/quarantines for British families travelling on holiday to most other EU countries. Despite the clear scientific guidance on safe air travel issued by the EU authorities (ECDC & EASA) over 6 weeks ago on 20^th May, Ireland is now the only EU country still recommending against flying to other EU countries (almost all of them with lower Covid rates than Ireland) and applying a failed and discredited visitor quarantine.

When less than 50% of quarantine follow up phone calls were even answered in the month of June, and with no effective track and trace system in place, it is clear that NPHET is mismanaging the return of Ireland’s economy from the Covid-19 lockdown. Ireland must now follow Europe’s scientific advice and permit air travel to and from other EU countries, applying the scientific principles for safe air travel promulgated by ECDC and EASA on 20^th May last.

European citizens and their families are now flying on holidays across Europe in July & Aug. We call on new Transport Minister Eamon Ryan, and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, to adopt the same EU science that applies in every other EU country (and from today the UK) scrap Ireland’s failed quarantine and remove all flight restrictions on Irish families travelling to Europe for much needed and well-earned holidays in Jul & Aug.”