Ryanair to Resume 40 Percent of Flights From July

London (dpa) - Low-cost airline Ryanair on Tuesday said it plans to restore 40 per cent of its regular flights from July 1, subject to the lifting of Covid-19-related restrictions on flights within the European Union.

Ryanair said it also requires "effective public health measures" to be implemented at airports before it begins a daily schedule of about 1,000 flights, restoring 90-percent of its routes.

The airline said it is currently operating only 30 flights on a "skeleton daily schedule," after governments across Europe imposed social distancing measures and severe restrictions on international travel.

Ryanair said it plans to resume operations at most of its 80 bases in Europe but will operate fewer flights on its major routes.

It said it will change ticketing, check-in and baggage services to improve social distancing and reduce the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus.

The airline said it wants passengers to undergo temperature checks at airport entrances and wear face masks at all times, including during the flights.

"After four months [of lockdown], it is time to get Europe flying again so we can reunite friends and families, allow people to return to work, and restart Europe’s tourism industry, which provides so many millions of jobs," said Eddie Wilson, Ryanair’s chief executive.

Ryanair group head Michael O’Leary told the BBC that a 14-day quarantine requirement for arrivals to Britain, where the airline does much of its business, was "unimplementable and unenforceable."

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