Ryanair CEO criticises new travel restrictions

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Irish-airline Ryanair has introduced a new COVID-19 travel wallet which aims to help make travel more streamline amid ongoing Covid regulations around the world. The wallet will be part of the Ryanair app, allowing customers to upload required documentation for whichever nation they are visiting.

With many countries now requiring negative COVID-19 tests, as well as potential evidence of vaccination in the future, the airline offers the wallet as a place for customers to store all of these documents in one place.

The airline remains hopeful the roll-out of vaccination programmes across Europe will see the return of summer holidays across the continent.

Furthermore, Ryanair says it is “confident” the EU’s vaccine programme will see the removal of “current EU travel restrictions in time for the school holidays” which run from June to September.

In light of this, the budget carrier says the wallet will make “air travel as seamless as possible for customers this summer”.

However, the airline says it is “mindful that additional Covid travel documents may be required by certain EU countries and Ryanair’s new COVID-19 Travel Wallet ensures passengers have all their COVID-19 travel documents saved and secure in one place to present at airports on their next getaway”.

Ryanair’s director of marketing, Dara Brady, said: “We are very pleased to launch this Ryanair COVID-19 Travel Wallet as we prepare for the return of family holidays in Summer ‘21.

“Many Ryanair customers will be taking their first holiday in over a year, adhering to new travel guidelines and this COVID-19 Travel Wallet allows customers to store all of their Covid documents such as PCR test results, passenger locator forms and vaccine certificates in the one location with zero fuss or paperwork to worry about.”

The airline already has a full schedule of flights on sale for the summer months.

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One-way seats start as low as £19.99 to select destinations.

The airline is also continuing its “zero change fee” for customers who are unable to fly on their originally planned dates.

Customers who book travel before March 31, 2021, for travel before October 31, are able to make two flights changes free of charge.

“Ryanair’s Summer 2021 schedules are already on sale – subject to changing Government travel restrictions – and we believe that once the high-risk and elderly population of Europe is vaccinated by the end of May or June, travel restrictions will be relaxed and air travel will experience a bounce back from pent-up customer demand that will see European families travelling again for well-earned Summer holidays to the beaches of Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece this summer,” said Mr Brady.

Greece is one nation that has said it will accept UK travellers in the summer months.

Greece’s tourism minister Harry Theoharis has confirmed the nation will open to tourists on May 14.

It comes just as Britons could be given the go-ahead for leisure travel, which is anticipated to kick off from May 17.

According to Mr Theoharis, all tourists will be granted entry to the nation regardless of whether or not they have been vaccinated.

However, those who have not been vaccinated will have to show proof of a negative Covid test.

Travellers with antibodies will also be permitted to enter.

“We aim to open tourism by May 14 with specific rules and updated protocols,” Theoharis told the IBT Berlin tourism fair.

“Until then, we will gradually lift restrictions if conditions allow.”

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