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fRYANAIR

Mr Michael McNamara Chairman Special Committee on Covid-19 Response Houses of the Oireachtas Kildare House Dublin 2

Ryanair DAC Dubltn Office AiJslde Buslne6S Parll Swords. Co. Dublln Ireland Telephone: +353 1 9451212

Fax Numbers General: Flnance: Sales & Marllebng· Engineering: Website:

+353 1 945 1213 +353 1 945 1373 +353 1 945 1642 +353 1 945 1338 www.ryanalr.com

STRICTLY PRIVATE & CONFIDENTIAL REF: CB/104259

03 June 2020

Sent via email to: Covid19@oireachtas.ie & aileen.fallon@oireachtas.ie

Dear Mr Chairman,

Thank you for your email dated 27th May, inviting Ryanair - Europe's largest passenger airline - to submit its views on the current impact of measures being taken by Ireland in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, to restrict travel to and from Ireland.

Ryanair's views can be summarised as follows:

1. The Irish Government, and Irish people, have done an excellent job with complying with lockdown measures over the last 12 weeks, and these measures have dramatically and successfully reversed the spread of the Covid-19 virus. As a result of these measures, Ireland has been one of the more successful EU countries in limiting the spread, and the impact of, Covid-19 although currently ranked in the upper half of the EU 27 members for Covid cases and deaths. If current trends continue, Ireland will be ranked in the lower half of the EU 27 members by case volume and deaths (see attached).

2. In achieving this success private sector industries in general, and Ireland's air transport sector in particular, have been grounded from mid-March until at least the end of June, a 16 week period. This has devastated airlines and associated businesses such as airports, passenger handling and in particular inbound tourism, etc.

3. However, it is deeply concerning that despite this excellent performance, Ireland is now ranked by the Oxford University School of Government as the most stringently locked down economy within Europe. Ireland is applying unnecessary, and in some cases, defective restrictions, which serve no medical benefit, while at the same time, avoiding medically effective measures as recommended by the ECDC (European Centre for Disease and Professor Luke O'Neill (TCD)) such as mandatory face masks in transport environments where social distancing isn't possible (on trains, busses, aircraft, airports and train stations). Ireland's overly stringent restrictions are excessive in the context of an economy which has been one of the more successful in limiting the spread of Covid-19 and deaths arising from Covid-19.

4. Many European countries (with an inferior performance and track record of combating Covid-19) have already announced removal of travel restrictions from mid or late June. These include Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Belgium and Holland. We understand that Germany and Austria will this week, also announce the removal of inbound flight and travel restrictions. Yet while this progress was being made across Europe in recent weeks, Ireland has gone in the opposite direction announcing a completely defective 2 week "quarantine", which is medically ineffective, unimplementable, and unenforceable.

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5. For a quarantine to be effective, inbound arrivals must be "captured" at the arrival point (port or airport), and either detained on site or transferred securely to a detention facility. Without these measures, a quarantine is self-defeating and useless. Ireland proposes to allow all inbound arrivals to take public transport (busses, trains, taxis ,etc) on arrival at Dublin, Cork and Shannon Airports, or Dublin and Rosslare ports, and only after the inbound passenger has arrived at their ultimate destination, will the defective 2 week quarantine begin. The mechanics of this "non-quarantine" render it effectively useless, since any Covid positive passenger can infect many others using the same public transport systems before they arrive at their ultimate address.

6. Europe's highest medical science experts (the ECDC and EASA) on 20th May published guidelines to assure the safety of intra-EU passenger flights, which recommended a series of measures including mandatory face masks in airports and on board aircraft, rigorous hand hygiene, and the use of disinfectants. Most EU airlines have announced return to services from mid or late June, implementing these safety measures, which have been confirmed by Europe's experts by assuring the safety of passengers returning to flying. Ryanair is concerned that Ireland has not yet adopted these measures, most notably, the mandatory wearing of face masks in public transport settings, whereas Irish regulations refer instead to ineffective measures such as a 14 day quarantine, which does not comply with EU recommendations and is defective, unimplementable, and unpoliceable.

7. Ireland's quarantine measure are fundamentally flawed in that it requires quarantining of passenger arrivals from EU countries with a lower R rate than Ireland, yet allows UK arrivals (from a country with the worst R rate in Europe) to enter Ireland freely without quarantine, which cannot be based on any scientific or medical evidence

8. As a result of Ireland's overly stringent lockdown measures, and these defective travel quarantines, Ireland is likely to suffer a slower recovery of air travel and tourism compared to other EU countries in the coming months. This will result in higher job losses, both within Ireland's airlines and our tourism sector. Already, Ryanair has announced 3,000 job losses, Aer Lingus 900 job losses, CityJet 700 job losses and Dublin Airport is looking for up to 1,000 job losses.

9. As an island nation, with a successful performance in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, Ireland should be at the forefront of easing travel restrictions, and supporting the free movement of people to and from this island, using sensible and effective measures, such as face masks, hand sanitization, and disinfectant of aircraft, and avoiding ineffective and unpoliceable measures such "quarantines", which are significantly negative to visitors potentially looking at Ireland as a destination. Ireland's ineffective quarantine measure will deter many UK visitors coming to Ireland this summer, when the alternative is to travel to Portugal, Spain, and Italy, without any quarantines or travel restrictions.

10. This quarantine measure also restricts many Irish citizens, who commute using low fare airlines to the UK, Belgium, Holland and Spain for work purposes, because they cannot return back to Ireland without quarantining for 14 days. Again, this will delay the rebooting of Ireland's economic recovery over the coming weeks and months.

The Oxford School of Government table, which now ranks Ireland as the most stringent lockdown economy in Europe, should be used by your Committee to demand that we accelerate Ireland's emergence out of the Covid-19 lockdown. Ryanair strongly advocates that your Committee implement the following sensible measures:

1. Reduce from 3 week intervals in the Govt 5 stage emergence from lockdown to 2 week intervals.

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2. Adopt the EU Commission's recommendations on coordinating the relaunch of air travel in Europe with measures such as mandatory face masks in public transport settings (airports, train stations, trains, busses, taxis, and aircraft) where social distancing isn't possible or practical.

3. Reduce the overly restrictive 2 metre social distancing to 1 metre, as recommended by the WHO, and currently implemented in Germany, Italy, and other EU member states.

4. With the mandatory wearing of face masks, Ireland should scrap defective and unpoliceable 14 day quarantine on visitors.

Ryanair applauds and supports Ireland effective response to the Covid-19 over the past 12 weeks. However, having demonstrated the effectiveness of Ireland's response, it is now time we prioritised the recovery of our economy and the preservation of jobs. This can be achieved by implementing the above simple, effective, and scientifically validated measures.

Eddie Wilson CEO - Ryanair DAC

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At a glance: Easing of travel restrictions timeline

Amber

Pa1Jalm.-mer,1 ...... au1ly pem,bed s.,n,,,­-slll,npla:e ~-·---­dilal&nged

April May

Italy Portugal

Gennany Gl'ffce

" Netherlandll Balglum

France Austria Switzerland

UK • Ireland

June

Spain

July August

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CREPORTED CASES AND DEATHS BY COUNTRY - WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO/CORONAVIRUS

.A:1 hii@i ~Jo,,r A.; ,,- ·c-1 (,;;.~·:1 ':>ru:r .4r.,-ff a i\:r r ., )( ,;.,:,;.:

Country. Total New Total New Total Active Serious. Tot Cases/ Deaths/ Total Tests/

# Other cases Cases Deaths Deaths Recovered cases Critical 1M pop 1M pop Tests 1Mpop Populatior

-Europe 2,034,268 +14.487 174,654 +487 993,956 865,658 8.748

I Russi;\ 414,878 +9,035 4,855 - 175.877 234,146 2,300 2,843 33 10,923,108 74.852 145,929,678

.SP.ill 286,718 +209 27,127 NIA NIA 617 6,133 580 4,063,843 86.921 46,763,li,4

i UK 276,332 +1,570 39,045 NIA NIA 1.559 4,072 575 4,285.738 63.158 67,857,854

J ilmY 233,197 +200 33,475 158,355 41,367 424 3,857 554 3,910,133 64,664 60,468,637

France 189,220 +338 28,833 68,440 91 ,947 1,302 2,899 442 1,384,633 21,216 65,262,335

~y 183,765 +271 8,618 165,900 9,247 677 2,194 103 3,952,971 47,192 83,763,076

etJgiYm 58,517 +136 9,486 15,919 33,112 163 5,051 819 876,306 75,637 11,585.664

0 Nethtrtands 46,545 +103 5,962 NIA NIA 158 2,717 348 349,496 20,400 17,131.938

g ~ 43,403 +847 240 18,776 24,387 92 4.593 25 553,377 58,561 9,449,659

·o ~ 37.814 +272 4,403 NIA NIA 267 3,746 436 238,800 23.657 10,094,260

11 ~gJl 32,700 +200 1,424 19,552 11,724 64 3,206 140 812.415 79,657 10,198.931

Switzerland 30,871 +9 1,920 28,500 451 28 3,569 222 399,215 46,154 8,649.656

,, ~ 26,062 +72 1,650 22,089 1,323 36 6,080 334 326,795 66,041 4.933.258

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CREPORTED CASES AND DEATHS BY COUNTRY- WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO/CORONAVIRUS

CO"untr,- Total Net¥ T•tJ I New Total Actrve Sem:i.us. Tot cas.es1 De3tl'ISI T<ital Testsl

I Other cases cases ~ams out:1s Recoverld C3SU Crtttcal 1Mpop iM pop Tests 1Mpop Popu13tton

•4 ~ 24,165 +379 1,074 11,449 11,642 160 638 28 931,520 24,611 37,849,748

1, ~ 24,012 +340 718 9,690 13,604 283 549 16 363,187 8,301 43,752,988

:;, Romania 19,398 +141 1,276 13,426 4,696 159 1,008 66 443,252 23.030 19.247,039

' "i A.llm 16,733 +2 668 15,596 469 29 1,859 74 451,820 50,189 9,002,328

18 Oenm3rk, 11,699 +30 576 10,412 711 20 2,020 99 637.738 110,1 33 6,790,610

:2 jf[bjj 11,430 +18 244 6,726 4.460 9 1,308 28 247,760 28,348 8,739,982

20 ~ 9,302 +34 321 6,642 2,339 15 869 30 442,866 41,361 10,707.447

21 ~y 8,446 +6 236 7,727 483 8 1,559 44 245,352 45,286 5,417,837

:;, MoldQn 8,360 +109 305 - 4,622 3,433 251 2,072 76 55,582 13,776 4,034,667

23 Ein!lru( 6,885 +26 318 5,500 1,067 9 1,243 57 185,484 33.481 5,640,057

:.i 1-uxtmbourg 4,019 +1 110 3,845 64 4 6,429 176 75,594 120,928 626,114

" HYngm 3,892 +16 527 2,156 1,209 25 403 55 187.965 19,454 9.662,189

25 ~ 2,918 +1 179 1,374 1,365 12 280 17 182,423 17,496 10,426,808

6~mlli i!!ld 2,524 +14 154 1,888 482 4 769 47 66,900 20,077 3,282,310

1:1.m!g~

? 3 .6.Ylgi.!ii 2,519 +6 140 1,090 1,289 17 362 20 81,694 11,751 6,952.233

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CREPORTED CASES AND DEATHS BY COUNTRY - WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO/CORONAVIRUS

ccuntr/. Total Ntw Total ~· .... TCt31 Active Sencus. Tot ca~sl De3!1'lSI TCt31 TestsJ

IJ Other Cases c:ises O:eatns De3tl\S Recovertd cases Cnttcal 1Mpop ,r.1 pop Tests 1M pep P01)tJl3tlon

~ N2ttb 2,315 +89 140 111111m 1,569 606 21 1,111 67 30,302 14,545 2,083,381 Macedonia

30 Croatia 2,246 103 2,on 66 4 547 25 66,695 16,239 4,107,117

31 ~ 1,870 +1 68 1,625 177 1,410 51 84,156 63,444 1,326,467

32 Iceland 1,806 10 1,794 2 5,295 29 61,138 179,255 341,067

33 Lithuania 1,678 +3 70 1,236 372 17 616 26 304,~ 111,876 2,724,919

~ Slovakia 1,522 +1 28 1,368 126 279 5 172,875 31,665 5,459,440

l5 Slovenia 1,473 109 -

1,358 6 1 709 52 80,407 38,677 2,078,916

36 Albania 1,143 +6 33 877 233 3 397 11 14,825 5,151 2,878,035

37 Latvia 1,066 24 745 297 3 565 13 109,723 58,126 1,887,671

lS Andorra 765 +1 51 698 16 4 9,902 660 3,750 48,541 n ,2ss

39 San Marino 671 42 359 270 1 19,779 1,238 4,485 132,203 33,925

40 Malta 619 +1 9 537 73 1 1,402 20 69,622 157,711 441 ,452

"4! Channel 560 45 528 -13 3,223 259 10,255 59,027 173,733 Islands

-42 fsle_Qf_Ma_n 336 24 311 1 3,953 282 4,933 58,037 84,997

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CREPORTED CASES AND DEATHS BY COUNTRY- WWW.WORLDOMETERS.INFO/CORONAVIRUS

Country. ToUI Ntlf ToUJ New Tot31 Active Serious. Tct C3sesl Oe3tMI TOt3l Tests/

fl Other C3ses c:ises Oe3.tl1S Oe3tl\S Recovered C3ses Crlttt,ll 1M pop H.1 pop Tests ,,., pop Popu~tion

4 l Monttnegr.2 324 9 316 0 616 14 10,167 16,188 628,060

44 Enr2t 187 187 0 3,828 9,6n 198,104 48.848

hl.!!ml

45 Gibraltar 170 161 19 5,046 7,644 226,879 33.692

J~ ~ 99 4 90 5 1 2,524 102 16,200 413,055 39.220

~; Litchttnstein 82 1 55 26 2,151 26 900 23,610 38,119

J3 Yi!tic~n ~it): 12 2 10 14,981 801

Total: 2,034,268 +14,487 174,654 - 993,956 865,658 8,748