Ryanair may cut more flights in Republic due to tough travel restrictions

Ryanair may cut more flights in the Republic if tough travel restrictions remain in place, one of the group’s top executives has warned. The news comes following reports that Aer Lingus is considering moving long-haul aircraft from Shannon to one of six UK regional airports to combat the restrictions. Eddie Wilson, CE of Ryanair DAC, the group’s biggest subsidiary, said on Tuesday that other “more progressive countries” were offering the carrier incentives to base aircraft at their airports for the winter. He warned that “capacity would go elsewhere” if the Government did not at least add key EU trading partners, such as Germany and the UK, to its green list of safe travel countries. Wilson noted that these states had lower Covid-19 infection rates than the Republic, but the Government continued to exclude them. This means that passengers from there must quarantine for 14 days after arriving in the Republic. Ryanair is cutting planned schedules in the Republic for September and October by 20% as the restrictions act as a drag on demand here.<br/>