Ryanair will not cancel flights to and from the United Kingdom despite the entry into force on Monday of a new quarantine measure for travelers denounced by the airline, said its managing director Michael O'Leary.
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Britain has decided to impose a 14-day isolation on most passengers arriving on its soil on an international flight, a measure criticized by the airlines British Airways (subsidiary of IAG), Ryanair and easyJet in a joint letter. These companies, which threaten to take legal action, believe that this measure will curb the resumption of air transport after the virtual paralysis caused by the containment measures implemented around the world to deal with the pandemic linked to the new coronavirus. In case of violation, offenders face a fine of 1000 pounds.
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Asked whether Ryanair would cancel its flights in July and August if the measure were to continue, Michael O'Leary replied: "No, because the flights are mainly from the United Kingdom. The British ignore this quarantine (measure), they know it's nonsense. ” "Ryanair will operate a thousand daily flights to many destinations in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece from July 1 (...)," he added.
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Michael O'Leary expects British tourists to maintain their holiday bookings in Europe, but believes the measure will deter European tourists from coming to Britain and ultimately penalize the British tourism sector.
