Ryanair re-iterates Cork, Shannon bases closure warning

Ryanair has re-iterated its warning that it will close its operations at both Cork and Shannon Airports for the winter unless the Government adopts the EU traffic light system for international travel. This system would allow passengers fly from Ireland to a greater range of countries during the Covid-19 pandemic. In a memo sent to all Ryanair staff at Cork and Shannon airports, Diarmuid Rogers, head of Ryanair flight operations base management, warned that “if there is no change, we regrettably expect the base closures at Cork and Shannon to proceed” even though a final decision has not yet been made. “The Government has not only failed to implement its own taskforce’s recommendation of July 7th but has now made matters worse by delaying the implementation of the EU’s ‘traffic light’ system until at least October 13th,” said Rogers. “Instead of adopting the EU ‘traffic light’ system . . . the Government updated the failed Green list by removing six countries with lower Covid case rates than Ireland. This disjointed and mismanaged approach is putting the jobs of our pilots and crew at Cork and Shannon at risk.” Last week, Ryanair CE Eddie Wilson met Oireachtas members from Leeside at Cork Airport and briefed them on the scenario facing the airline with regard to continuing its operations from both Cork and Shannon in the light of the government’ s policy on foreign travel during Covid. Wilson said the Government needed to adopt the EU rules on green, orange and red list countries and it needed to include travel to the UK which is critically important for Ryanair’s operations from Cork where it accounts for 50% of the company’s business. Wilson said the aviation industry needs decisiveness from the Government immediately as Ryanair currently has no bookings for November.<br/>