Ryanair today (Thurs 10^th Dec) welcomed the Dáil Transport Committee report, which calls for comprehensive and effective measures to support the recovery of Ireland’s aviation sector. It is now crucial that Minister Eamon Ryan confirms its full and immediate implementation giving priority to:

1. Recovery incentives to stimulate air travel next summer. The roll out of airport charges/rebates will determine Ireland’s connectivity next year, when Europe recovers from Covid-19. Ryanair has written to Minister Ryan and awaits a response to secure and grow traffic at Dublin and Cork Airports. Without these urgent incentives, traffic and jobs will sadly go elsewhere in Europe.
2. Implementing the recommendations of the ECDC. Ryanair urges the Govt to avoid the mistakes of last summer when Ireland deviated from a coordinated EU approach, since the ECDC have now confirmed that imported cases account for less than 1% and do not increase the rate of Covid-19 transmission.
3. Implementation in the short-term of all testing recommendations to restore consumer/booking confidence.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said:

“We call on Minister Eamon Ryan to urgently respond to Ryanair’s proposal and lower airport charges in S2021 as the first crucial step to stimulate tourism and jobs growth next summer, when Ryanair will allocate new aircraft capacity where lower costs will be passed on to consumers in the form of lower fares, which is the only way to stimulate demand (i.e new bases in Paris Beauvais and Venice Treviso were announced recently).    

On 2^nd Dec, the ECDC published new recommendations based on scientific evidence, which rejected quarantines and other travel restrictions. NPHET, the team who have repeatedly mismanaged “international travel” to Ireland, have (without any explanation) said they “disagree” with this latest EU scientific advice, which is sadly typical of NPHET’s mismanagement of the Covid virus in Ireland. Ryanair supports the Dáil Transport Committee’s recommendation to align requirements for travellers  from ‘orange’ and ‘red’ regions (negative test prior to arrival) which will help to restore connectivity and consumer confidence.

Ireland’s tourism and aviation industries require urgent action from Transport Minister Eamon Ryan to lower airport charges as part of a Covid recovery plan, and allow airlines to plan for Summer 2021. Thousands of jobs in these sectors depend now on Minister Ryan’s ability to secure airline capacity for Ireland before other countries with greater recovery incentives act faster and leave Ireland behind.”