'Green List Shambles’ Causing Untold Damage To UK Tourism, Says Ryanair

 

The boss of Europe’s largest budget airline has hit out at what he calls “Boris Johnson’s mismanagement of the Covid pandemic” and demanded that vaccinated travellers need to be able fly between the UK and EU without restriction.

At current the quarantine-free “green list” has solely two possible destinations: Gibraltar and Iceland.

Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, said: “The UK’s Covid travel coverage is a shambles.

“The green listing is non-existent due to the fact countries such as Malta and Portugal, with decrease Covid case numbers than the UK and rapidly rising vaccination rates, remain on amber.

“Meanwhile, UK citizens, almost eighty per cent of whom will be vaccinated by the end of June, proceed to face Covid restrictions on travel to and from the European Union – no matter the reality that the majority of EU citizens will also be vaccinated by the end of June.”

Mr O’Leary was speaking a day after calling for Air Passenger Duty to be suspended for numerous years to assist the travel industry get better from the crisis.

On three June the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, eliminated the solely mainstream green listing nation, Portugal, and positioned it on the amber list – triggering a rush home to keep away from quarantine.

Announcing the tightening of controls, Mr Shapps said: “The public has always known travel will be unique this year and we must proceed to take a cautious strategy to reopening international travel in a way that protects public health and the vaccine rollout.

“While we are making incredible development in the UK with the vaccine rollout, we continue to say that the public must not travel to locations outside the green list.”