O’leary: Scots can book holiday flights ‘with confidence’

Scots were told by Ryanair yesterday they could book flights abroad this summer with “reasonable confidence” as high vaccination rates “must result in the removal of restrictions”.

Chief executive Michael O’leary said both the Scottish andukgovernmentswouldbe under pressure to ease restrictions when vaccination rates reached high levels. However, he predicted passengers would have to keep wearing masks until at least spring.

His comments came as Ryanairannouncednewroutes between Edinburgh to Naples this summer and Knock this autumn, which were previously operated by other airlines.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the ban on nonessential international travel may remain in force in Scotland

after 17 May – the earliest date the UK Government has said it might be relaxed in England.

Mr O’leary said: "Everybody is getting very panicked at the moment over international travel,butit’sonlythemiddleof March. There isn’t going to be a lot of international travel over what would normally be the Easter period, or in April.

"As the school holidays start throughjuneintojuly,thatwill coincide we believe with very high vaccination rates, not just in the UK, also in Europe.

"Therefore we think people should book summer holidays for June, July and August with reasonable confidence at the moment.

"If something changes in that, or the dates move back, there’s no change-fees applicable, so people will simply postpone their holiday plans. "The Scottish Government will be under as much pressure as Boris Johnson and the Northern Ireland Executive to demonstrate to their constituents that they have had a very successful vaccine programme and that high vaccination rates must result in the removal of restrictions.”

The Naples route, previously operated by Jet2, is due to start on 1 June and run three days a week – Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Flights to Knock, a previousflyberoute,arescheduled to operate on Wednesdays and Sundays from 1 September.

A Scottish Government spokespersonsaid:“non-essential international travel will not be possible before the May 17 targetdatetheukgovernment has set, and our view is it might not be possible for a further period after that."