Ryanair has issued bullish plans for the upcoming summer time, arguing there might be enormous demand for air journey from the UK and throughout Europe within the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Whereas authorities officers have tried to tamp down pleasure over the potential of summer time journeys, the low-cost service is banking on a giant return from June onward.
Talking this morning, Ryanair chief govt, Michael O’Leary, stated the service hope to fly round 2,300 journeys per week over the height summer time season.
That is round 80 per cent of pre-Covid-19 capability over the important thing months of July, August and September.
The plans embody weekly flights throughout 480 routes, together with 26 new routes to fashionable vacation locations in France, Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
“The success of the UK vaccine programme has given us nice confidence, with the European Union now catching up, we are able to all take pleasure in journeys this summer time,” O’Leary stated.
“Ryanair will give attention to vacation locations equivalent to Spain, Italy and Greece, which have all stated they are going to be open to British travellers this summer time.
“There may be enormous pent-up demand for air journey, and the restoration might be pushed by short-haul journeys in Europe, slightly than within the long-haul market,” O’Leary added.
The Ryanair chief additionally denied it was too early to guide journeys, placing him at odds with the federal government, which has urged travellers to attend for a report from the World Journey Taskforce early subsequent month.
“It’s not too early to be reserving holidays – whereas there isn’t a demand throughout the Easter interval, we now have seen sturdy and sustained demand throughout the summer time.
“There isn’t any motive why folks can’t journey to the seashores of Europe, as they did final yr, with vaccination ranges so excessive,” O’Leary added.
“Ryanair would have the ability to survive a second summer time with out flights, however I see little probability of that occuring.
“The entire level of a vaccination programme is to scale back circumstances, hospitalisations – and we now have seen that starting to occur within the UK.
“There isn’t any doubt in my thoughts that European governments are very eager to welcome British travellers – and if we now have 80 per cent of the UK inhabitants vaccinated it will likely be very troublesome to maintain these folks at dwelling.”
