Ryanair points out that Irish government is still implementing an ineffective quarantine measures. As for now Ireland remains a single European countries with strict 14-day quarantine requirement on arrival.

Ryanair will cut 1,000 flights between Ireland and the United Kingdom in August and September due to the quarantine measure Ireland still applies. According to airline, this is at the expense of about 200,000 passengers.

“Last week, when the UK and Northern Ireland lifted travel restrictions on short-haul flights to / from the European Union, Ireland became the only country in Europe with a general 14-day quarantine restriction on all arriving passengers from EU countries, most of which have lower infection rates than Ireland, “said a Ryanair spokesperson.

At the end of May, Ryanair already called on the United Kingdom and Ireland to end the 14-day quarantine measure. The United Kingdom responded to this after much criticism from the travel industry. Ireland has not cancelled the rule.

“If governments across Europe have opened EU flights and lifted travel restrictions within the EU since June 1, there is no point in the Irish government continuing to treat countries like Germany, Denmark and Greece as if they were comparable levels of COVID to the US, Brazil and India. Irish nationals are told by their government not to travel to and from EU countries (almost all of which have lower COVID-19 figures than Ireland), but citizens of Northern Ireland can travel to and from the EU freely – via Dublin Airport – without any quarantine restrictions,” said the company.

Ryanair flies in Ireland to regional airports such as Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry. It accounts for just under eight percent of the airline’s air traffic. Passengers are mainly holidaymakers and Irish workers who work in the United Kingdom.