Ryanair today (27 May) called on Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to “read the evidence” which confirms that it is safe to return to flying from 1 July with Ryanair thanks to the concrete measures introduced by the European health and air safety experts. Leo Varadkar said in the Dáil today “I think we have to continue to base our decisions on the evidence”… Ryanair is happy to provide him with this medical evidence published by the ECDC and EASA on 20 May last.

In their 20 May joint document EASA and ECDC “defined measures to assure the health safety of air travellers and aviation personnel once airlines resume regular flight schedules following the disruption caused by Covid-19”.

European Transport Commissioner Adina Valean confirmed in this press release:

“We relied on our specialists from EASA and ECDC to define a set of concrete measures for the safe resumption of air travel within the EU. The protocol released today will reassure passengers that it is safe for them to fly and so help the industry recover from the effects of this pandemic”.

A Ryanair spokesperson said:

“If Leo Varadkar, Sinn Fein or Dr. Gabriel Scally are looking for expert evidence that it is safe to return to flying in the EU, here it is!!! All they need do is read the guidelines published on May 20 by EASA and the ECDC, which recommend face masks and other measures to assure the safety of air travel, and they make no mention of ineffective quarantines as mistakenly introduced by the Irish Govt last weekend while the rest of Europe was abolishing quarantines.

Ryanair is going back flying on 1 July next with over 1,000 daily flights from Ireland to destinations all over Europe, following the air safety measures recommended by EASA and the ECDC, and we urge Leo Varadkar, Sinn Fein and Dr. Gabriel Scally to brush up on this expert evidence and book a cheap flight with Ryanair without further delay”.

You can find out more about the EASA – ECDC guidelines here.