Ryanair to increase flights to 80% of pre-pandemic levels by July

Ryanair plans to increase the number of its flights to 80% of pre-pandemic levels by July, as the airline’s chief executive criticised the UK government for warning against booking overseas summer holidays this year. Michael O’Leary said he was “very confident” that Britons would be “going to the beaches of Europe” and that Ryanair would have a “strong summer”, thanks to the UK and EU’s rapid, albeit politically fraught, vaccination programmes. The Irish carrier said it would run about half the number of flights it flew before the coronavirus pandemic in 2019 from April to June but will step up its schedule to 80% during July or August, or 90% if there is sufficient demand. Its optimism for a rapid return of international travel contrasted with the UK government’s cautious view. On Monday, Helen Whately, the minister for social care, triggered a sharp decline in the value of UK travel companies’ shares when she said it felt “premature to be booking international holidays at the moment”. “It isn’t,” O’Leary responded during a press conference on Wednesday, arguing that vaccination rates justified easing travel restrictions. As of Monday, almost 54% of UK adults have received a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, although the proportion of EU citizens who have been vaccinated is significantly lower.<br/>