Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary Says UK Will Drop 14-Day Travel Quarantine Plans as Bookings Surge

RYANAIR’S Michael O’Leary says that the UK will drop its 14-day travel quarantine plans which are due to come into force in June.

The outspoken boss of the budget air carrier has strongly opposed the idea, saying that it would dent the air travel industry, which has suffered badly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

He had previously announced any quarantines as “unenforceable,” as arrivals back from abroad would have to self-isolate at a declared address for a fortnight.

The UK is due to impose the measure from June 8.

“The UK and Ireland will either quietly drop the quarantine plans or drop them as another easing measure in the next week or two. I am confident of that,” O’Leary commented

“There will be movement, because people are just going to ignore it.”

Ryanair announced earlier in May that they were going to run 40 per cent of their schedule from July 1, as countries like Spain and Greece have announced that they are going to welcome back international tourists from that date.

Currently Ryanair are running a skeleton service of around 30 mainly domestic flights in Europe.

O’Leary said that demand has been brisk from customers wanting to make bookings from July onwards.

“We have seen a big surge in bookings on our flights out of Ireland and the UK to Spain, Portugal and Italy over the weekend, and that seems to be continuing this week.”

He added that the number of people making reservations made him “reasonably confident” that his services would be at least 50 per cent full when they resume.