Ryanair boss bullish about summer despite setbacks
British tourists should go ahead and book foreign holidays despite government warnings not to, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary said yesterday, as the budget airline announced plans to run at 80 per cent of its peak summer capacity.
Vaccination programmes are expected to tame Covid-19 and reopen travel in time for beach holidays, Mr O’Leary predicted during a news conference in which he also dismissed recent advice from UK ministers that foreign travel is expected to remain off-limits.
“I don’t frankly pay too much attention to it,” he said, citing the UK’s “spectacularly successful vaccine programme” that aims to reach the entire adult population by late July.
Britain’s lead on vaccinations has put UK tourists at the centre of the travel industry’s summer hopes. The industry has been dented by recent setbacks to immunisation campaigns in Europe and a rise in infection rates.
Mr O’Leary reported a surge in bookings from Britain and Germany, in comments that were in stark contrast to the gloom besetting the industry as it faces the risk of a second ruined peak season.
Airline and travel shares fell this week after the UK toughened its stance but regained some ground yesterday, with TUI, British Airways owner IAG, easyJet and Ryanair up 7.8 per cent, 5.5 per cent, 3 per cent and 0.6 per cent, respectively.
Ryanair staged separate online press briefings on its UK, Spain and Greek travel schedules in what Mr O’Leary said was an attempt to encourage consumers to book.
The Irish budget airline announced 26 new destinations in Greece, Portugal and Spain and plans to operate a total of 2,000 weekly flights on 400 summer routes.
“If you are fully vaccinated, I would be very surprised if there was any legal basis for the UK government preventing people travelling on holidays to other European countries,” he said.
“It is very difficult to persuade the UK population to sit at home, or holiday at home when everybody has been vaccinated.”
Britain banned foreign travel until at least May 17, except for essential work, education or health reasons.
Earlier this week, Minister of State for Social Care Helen Whately urged would-be travellers to hold off booking international trips.