3rd Jun 2020 16:16
(Alliance News) - Ryanair Holdings PLC has described the UK's quarantine as "utterly ineffective", claiming people can be playing golf or lying on a beach when telephone checks are made.
The airline claimed quarantines can only work when passengers are "detained" at their point of arrival.
It said in a statement that the UK plans to allow people to travel on public transport across the country, and there is "nothing to stop" them shopping in a supermarket to collect groceries before their 14-day quarantine begins.
The airline went on: "Once they have arrived at their 'quarantine address', the UK Government will phone less than 1% of these visitors but only on their mobile phone, which can be answered from any golf course, beach, park or indeed supermarket across the UK, thereby rendering this quarantine utterly ineffective and useless.
"For the UK to be imposing a 14-day quarantine on inbound visitors when it already has one of the worst Covid infection and death rates in Europe, is closing the door long after the horse has bolted.
"Most visitors to the UK from Europe are arriving from countries with a lower R rate than the UK."
Earlier Wednesday, the Irish budget airline reported practically no passenger traffic in May amid travel restrictions caused by Covid-19, saying it expects little to change in June.
Ryanair said traffic in May dropped by 99.5% to just 70,000 passengers versus the 14.1 million passengers it carried a year earlier, as Covid-19 airspace closures continue to hurt its operations.
Ryanair said it operated just 701 scheduled flights in May, including a number of rescue and medical flights on behalf of various EU governments, versus its budgeted schedule of 70,000 flights.
Going forward, Ryanair said it expects minimal traffic in June, due to multiple EU government flight bans and restrictions.
On a rolling annual basis to May, the company said it carried 121.0 million passengers, down 17% from 145.8 million a year prior.
By Neil Lancefield, PA Transport Correspondent
source: PA
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