Tag: automotive

Caravan holidays and camping trips are set to rise this year as Britons remain in the UK for their holidays post-coronavirus. A National Caravan Council NCC survey this week confirmed a huge 93 percent of those surveyed intend to holiday or take a short break in the UK after the lockdown. Motorhome and caravan dealerships across the country are preparing for reopening on Monday, after a surge in interest online in caravans and motorhomes.

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British leisure vehicle manufacturer, Swift Group, recently revealed its web traffic increased over 40 percent since Boris Johnson announced the initial lockdown easing on May 10, compared to the two weeks prior.

Interestingly, growth has been driven by a younger audience between 18 to 44 years old, whose visits to the site are up by nearly 50 percent.

Nick Page, Group Commercial Director from Swift Group said: “We are seeing a really promising trend emerging, which after a hard few months for the industry, is welcome news to UK caravan and motorhome manufacturers.

“Holiday parks are a brilliant option to enable social distancing, and as caravans and motorhomes are self-contained, will be one of the safest holiday options for those looking to get out around the UK this year.”

The NCC is now working with the government to allow the safe re-opening of caravan holiday parks and touring sites in England as soon as possible.

Currently, those offering holiday accommodation – such as hotels and resorts as well as caravan parks – may be permitted to open from July 4.  

The NCC is calling on the government to lift the closure notices on caravan parks across the UK so they can reopen as soon as possible.

The trade body has now issued extremely robust safety guidelines.

The guidance outlines advice to enable caravan parks to develop their own COVID-19 safety protocol and give assurances that measures have been put in place to protect staff, customers and, as a consequence those in the nearby local community, so they can reopen.

A phased opening of caravan parks has been proposed by the NCC to the government. 

Unlike hotels, there are no safety issues with shared facilities or accommodation at caravan parks, as the units are self-contained and 95 percent are privately owned, thus providing a safe form of holiday accommodation.

Caravans and motorhomes are ‘socially distanced by design’ and rules on parks mean that caravans must be five or six metres apart.  

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The vast majority of caravans have their own cooking and washing facilities, providing the safest form of holidaying possible at the moment.

NCC Director General, John Lally commented: “The reopening of dealerships is a huge relief for the industry as we are able to start to respond to the public interest in both renting and buying caravans and motorhomes in the coming months.

“The UK’s holiday parks benefit from rural and coastal locations, away from densely populated urban areas, and each park is working to put in place social distancing measures which will make it the best option for holidays in the UK this year.

“We are working with the government to look into reopening holiday parks as early as possible with strict social distancing measures, as outlined in the guidance, to enable the industry to get back to work and hard-working families to enjoy full use of their caravans again.”

Further findings from the NCC show that in the first months after lockdown, 70 percent of UK adults said they perceive a holiday caravan-based UK break as a socially acceptable activity. 

Motorhoming did even better, with 77 percent, indicating it as an appealing option.

These holiday types were regarded as much more acceptable than, say, a city break to a major European city.

A Longwoods survey found that 82 percent of people travelling in 2020 made changes to their travel plans due to COVID-19. 

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Pilots know all about the unexpected situations that can arise when flying. Though accidents and plane crashes are an out-of-the-ordinary scenario, pilots are still trained to know how to deal with them, and this is why passengers are given instructions.

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Travellers onboard may have noticed being told to keep their shoes on during take-off and landing, and it turns out this is a preparation in case the worst does indeed happen.

According to Ben Sherwood, author of The Survivors Club — The Secrets and Science That Could Save Your Life, 80 percent of all crashes happen within the first three minutes of a flight or in the last eight minutes before landing.

Therefore both passengers and crew need to be geared up to make a speedy escape – which is where your shoes come in.

Speaking to TripSavy, an anonymous pilot who works for a major airline explained: “God forbid there was an emergency, you wouldn’t want to evacuate a plane that might be on fire or standing in mud and weeds wearing a pair of flip-flops.”

This was echoed by a Qatar Airways flight attendant, who told The Points Guy: “You should keep your shoes on during takeoff and landing because that’s the most dangerous part of the flight.”

Not only are shoes important in helping you make a quick escape, but keeping your shoes on will also protect your fellow fliers.

Shoes cluttering the aisle or even the row you are seated in can become a potential tripping hazard, or slow down someone else’s escape route.

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Aside from emergencies, there is another more disgusting reason passengers should consider keeping their footwear firmly in place.

“Please do not ever walk into a toilet with bare feet,” an anonymous flight attendant wrote in a Reddit forum.

“I promise you, nine times out of 10, that is not water on the floor.”

They added: “The toilets are often absolutely disgusting and get deep cleaned only at the end of a route.

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“For us, this could be from one side of the world to the other… imagine how lovely they are at the end of a 12-hour flight with 200 people using them.”

Another flight attendant posted: “So many incidents occur on the plane that everyday passengers don’t see or consider.

“Pee and poop happens, all over. I feel like I witness an ‘accident’ regularly; in their seat or in the lav.”

For travellers who aren’t sure which of their shoes to wear, a group of frequent fliers have shared their top tips on the best shoes to opt for before jetting off.

Across the board, it seems passengers are focussed on shoes that are comfortable, as well as easy to get on and off.

“I fly often, and I just wear my regular everyday slip-on loafers,” suggested one traveller.

“If it’s a long haul flight, I take them off once I get to my seat and wear those disposable hotel slippers (I always have one or two in my carry on) for the duration of the flight.”

Another added: “Running shoes, with the lace lose enough to slip on and off without tying.”

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Wizz Air flights recommenced to London Luton Airport earlier this month. Now the Hungarian budget carrier has announced a selection of brand new routes from the UK to Spain. The news will likely be welcomed by Britons keen to escape to Spain when travel restrictions are lifted.

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Wizz Air announced the launch of four new routes from London Luton to Malaga, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Palma de Mallorca.

Not only do they routes offer exciting holidays opportunities to Britons but they’re also purse-friendly with fares starting from just £25.99.

The new four Spanish routes continue Wizz Air’s growth in Spain, with another new route to Las Palmas, beginning on June 4.

This follows six new Wizz routes which were unveiled earlier this month.

These included flights from London Luton to Corfu, Heraklion, Rhodes, Zakynthos, Faro and Marrakesh.

Flights to Faro, Wizz Air’s third Portuguese route, take off from June 16 2020.

In a post-coronavirus climate, Wizz Air has implemented numerous health and hygiene measures to protect passengers and crew.

HEPA filters are installed on all Wizz Air aircraft which filter out 99.7 percent of viruses and bacteria from the air, said the airline in a statement.

What’s more, Wizz Air has introduced protocols to support physical distancing guidelines, ensure an ultra-clean environment on board and reduce any non-essential human interaction and physical contact.

These are the new routes:

London Luton – Palma de Mallorca

Operating on: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

Launch date: July 1 2020

Fares from: £25.99

London Luton – Malaga

Operating on: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Launch date: July 1 2020

Fares from: £25.99

London Luton – Fuerteventura

Operating on: Monday and Friday

Launch date: July 3 2020

Fares from: £34.99

London Luton – Lanzarote

Operating on: Tuesday and Saturday

Launch date: October 27 2020

Fares from: £34.99

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For travellers concerned about booking in these uncertain time, the airline offers the paid-for-extra WIZZ Flex.

Wizz explained: “By adding WIZZ Flex to a booking, passengers have the option to cancel their flight up to three hours before departure without any fee and get 100 percent of the original fare immediately reimbursed in airline credit, which can be used within 90 days for flights within or after this time period.  

“By doing this, passengers can rest assured that if circumstances change, or they simply wish to travel on a different date, or to a different destination, they can rebook on any WIZZ flight of their choice, with no limit to the number of changes that can be made.”

Owain Jones, Managing Director of Wizz Air UK, said today: “As Wizz Air leads the way with its enhanced health and wellbeing measures, passengers can be confident that they can safely rely on Wizz Air for their holiday plans, with ultra-low fares to these year-round sun destinations.

“It is thanks to the dedicated WIZZ staff and loyal customer base that our UK network continues to grow, as we strive to provide affordable travel to as many people as possible again and provide the UK economy with much-needed international connections.

“As travel restrictions continue to ease across Europe, the WIZZ team is excited to welcome its passengers back on board its new, green, ultra-efficient aircraft this summer.”

Britons must remember, though, that the UK government does not currently allow non-essential travel, and it is not yet known when this restriction will be lifted.

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Portuguese island Madeira is the latest country to announce plans to welcome back international tourists following the coronavirus lockdown. The island, which is situated off the northwest coast of Africa and is an autonomous region of Portugal, will reopen to visitors on July 1.

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However, in order to meet the entry criteria, visitors must be able to prove they do not have coronavirus (COVID-19).

Tourists will either have to show documentation confirming they have received a negative coronavirus test within 72 hours prior to their arrival, or they can receive a free test which will be administered by authorities upon arrival.

The tests will be free to those entering the holiday destination.

Authorities also working to implement a COVID-free certificate which will be given to tourism businesses in Madeira.

It is hoped this will provide peace of mind for the safety of travellers.

“Madeira Islands are focused on positioning as a COVID-safe destination,” said the country’s tourism officials.

“Furthermore, Madeira was a pioneer in the whole of Portugal in developing a good practices document to deal with COVID-19. These measures will provide comfort to those who travel and it is ultimately for the wellbeing of all.”

The country recorded no deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, and just 90 cases.

The tourism board added: “The Portuguese outpost of Madeira has had very few cases of COVID-19 and acted quickly to control the virus on the archipelago (Portugal has been widely praised for its rapid response).

“It is an island in the Atlantic, with relatively low visitor and transit numbers, which makes Madeira an exceptionally safe holiday option.”

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While some countries, such as Greece, are whitelisting international visitors from certain places, Madeira has not set out any such measures.

Greece is currently not welcoming British tourists back despite restarting its tourism season.

Madeira is a three and a half-plane journey from the UK and is famed for its year-round warm temperatures.

In the summer it reaches highs of around 27 degrees, meanwhile, in the winter months, temperatures stay at approximately 17 degrees.

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Last year, the country also won the award for Best Island Destination in Europe as part of the World Travel Awards.

Madeira is the latest in a string of European destinations gearing up to welcome back international tourists in the summer months.

Earlier this week Spain said it would be allowing visitors back into the country without the need for a 14-day quarantine as of July 1.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya confirmed the news on her Twitter profile saying: “The worst is behind us.

“In July we will gradually open Spain to international tourists, lift the quarantine, ensure the highest standards of health safety.

“We look forward to welcoming you!”

Meanwhile, Portugal and the UK could be set to establish an ‘air bridge’ between the two countries.

This decision could see travellers allowed to visit the country without the need for a 14-day quarantine period.

The air corridor would also allow British visitors to Portugal to avoid having to quarantine after returning home too, according to two Portuguese sources speaking to Reuters.

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Ryanair, Europe’s largest passenger airline has announced plans to resume most of its flights from July 1. With travel restrictions still in place and Brits being advised not to travel, the budget airline hopes to see more passengers visiting popular tourist destinations.

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Ryanair is currently operating around 30 flights a day, however the airline wishes to boost this to a flight capacity of 40 percent from July.

In a bid to get the airline up and running again, new hygiene measures will be put in place to ensure staff and passengers are safe.

The company announced the news after the Spanish government announced that it would welcome tourists from July 1 with no mandatory quarantine.

After flights were grounded because of the travel restrictions implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic, the travel industry now has plans towards resuming flights.

The budget airline has said it will be running daily flights from the UK and Ireland to popular tourist destinations and has launched an online sale to encourage people to book a holiday.

One-way fares start from €29.99 (£26.71) in a bid to kick-start demand for travel again.

Ryanair’s CEO Eddie Wilson said: “After 4 months of lockdown, we welcome these moves by Governments in Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain and Cyprus to open their borders, remove travel restrictions and scrap ineffective quarantines.

“Irish and British families, who have been subject to lockdown for the last 10 weeks, can now look forward to booking their much needed family holiday to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, and other Mediterranean destinations, for July & Aug before the schools return in Sept.

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“Ryanair will be offering up to 1,000 flights from 1 July, and we have a range of low fare seat sales, perfect for that summer getaway, which we know many parents and their kids will be looking forward to as me move out of lockdown and into the school holidays.”

He insisted that all Ryanair flights will operate with new hygiene guidelines in place.

The airline also posted a video of their face mask measures on their Twitter page with the caption: “The health and safety of our passengers is very important to us – this is why face masks will be mandatory on all our flights once we return to service.”

Passengers flying with the airline will be told that they should check their temperature before going to the airport, and it might be checked again before the flight.

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Ryanair also said that all planes will be professionally cleaned and disinfected regularly.

The airline is hoping to resume flights to countries including:
• Spain
• Italy
• Portugal
• Malta
• Croatia
• Greece
• Romania
• Bulgaria

In Portugal, hotels will start reopening on June 1, and beaches will reopen a week later with social distancing rules put in place.

Similarly in Greece, some beaches have already reopened, while hotels and popular tourist spots are set to reopen at the beginning of June.

Other airlines have also announced plans to boost flight numbers.

EasyJet announced last week that it will be resuming flights from June 15 with a mainly domestic schedule in the UK and France.

British Airways is due to launch “a meaningful return to service in July,” while Jet2.com says that they will be resuming its flight programme at the beginning of July.

While Spain has lifted the mandatory quarantine for tourists in a bid to get the tourism industry back up and running, the UK is to impose a two week quarantine requirement for anyone arriving in the country from June 8, but the rules will be reviewed every three weeks after Australia has asked to be exempt from this.

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Turkey holidays have not been on the cards for many weeks now. The country currently has 153,548 confirmed cases of coronavirus. There are still strict travel rules in place.

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The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has detailed the restrictions Britons should know in their latest travel advice update for Turkey.

“Passengers who are not Turkish nationals or residents of Turkey are not permitted to enter Turkey,” said the FCO.

“Some airlines are operating flights to Turkey on an occasional basis to repatriate Turkish nationals and residents of Turkey from abroad, in cooperation with the Turkish government.

“If you live in Turkey but are currently in the UK and wishing to return to Turkey, email the Turkish Consulate-General in London ([email protected]) to register your interest in returning.

“If you’re outside the UK, contact the Turkish Embassy or Consulate in the country you are in.

“Although there is no barrier to British nationals with residence permits entering Turkey, priority will be given to Turkish nationals.

“You should refer to the operating airline and your nearest Turkish Embassy before you travel, to ensure you are permitted to enter Turkey on these flights.”

Rules are in place at the airport for anyone arriving into Turkey.

“All passengers permitted to arrive in Turkey from overseas will be checked for Covid- 19,” said the FCO.

“Anyone showing symptoms will be isolated at the airport before taken by ambulance to a hospital for testing and, if necessary, treatment.

“Those who do not have symptoms will be required to self-isolate at home for 14 days.

“They will be monitored remotely by family doctors during their self-isolation period.

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“Land crossings with Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran and Iraq have also been closed.”

As for when Britons might be able to return, a ban on international flights is in place until 1 June.

“Normal, scheduled international flights will not resume until the ban is lifted,” said the FCO.

“At present there is no information about how soon airlines will resume their operations after it is lifted.

“Occasional ad hoc flights are still operating.”

However, Britons are currently unable to travel abroad at all.

Only “essential” travel is permitted by the UK government.

It is not known when this restriction will be lifted.

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TUI holidays now come with greater flexibility as the holiday company updates its refund process. In a statement, TUI’s managing director admitted the operator had not “got it right.” Holiday refunds have proved a headache to numerous Britons during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Holidays have had to be cancelled or postponed as global travel screeched to a halt.

Many travellers were subsequently left frustrated as holiday companies were slow to issue refunds, with many offering vouchers instead of cash.

TUI is one major holiday company which angered its customers over how it dealt with refunds.

Finally, though, the tour operator is offering hope.

TUI UK & Ireland announced a “raft of changes” to improve its refunds and booking amendments processes today.

This will come as good news to the more than 900,000 customers impacted by holiday cancellations.

Now, TUI customers who have cancelled holidays before June 11 can access a self-service section on the website to apply for a cash refund.

This will remove the need for holidaymakers to call customer services.

Secondly, customers with holidays booked up to August 31 are now able to make free amendments to their bookings online until June 30.

TUI UK & Ireland Managing Director Andrew Flintham has admitted it’s taken the business a long time to find a system that works when it comes to processing the unprecedented volume of refunds.

He apologised for the delays in his statement today.

Flintham said: “We know we haven’t got it right; we’re doing everything we can to make things better and we’re sorry for the frustration felt by our customers.

“Taking people on incredible holidays is what we do best, but we’ve struggled to get the right systems in place to support our customers now that we can’t take them on holiday, especially at the speed of change we’ve faced in recent weeks.

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“We want to offer customers greater flexibility with their holiday bookings and simplify the process of requesting a refund.

“This is why we’ve developed a new system to help customers with cash refund requests and have updated our amendment policies.

“We recognise the situation around travel this summer remains unclear and there’s still a lot of uncertainty around when we will all be able to travel again, and some customers may not wish to pay a final balance with so many unknowns.

“We are therefore allowing TUI customers with holidays before the end of August the opportunity to amend their holiday for free so they don’t have to pay until closer to their new departure date.

“Customers with a cancelled holiday will now be able to amend their holiday online and take advantage of the 20 percent booking incentive, or they can keep their refund credit and booking incentive for a later date when they know when and where they would like to travel.

“And for those customers that would prefer a cash refund, they can now apply via an online form instead of calling our contact centre.

“Not only will this save our customers time, but it will also ease the pressure on our hard-working customer service staff who have been dealing with nearly one million calls every day whilst working from home, compared with 45,000 a day during usual times.

“We are also constantly growing our virtual homeworking team whilst stores remain closed, so retail customers can speak with advisors about current and future bookings.

“We’d like to sincerely apologise to our customers impacted by delays to refunds and the length of time it’s taken.

“We really look forward to taking people on holiday again as soon as we’re able to do.

“We can already see that there is a real appetite for our customers to travel again, with many using our booking incentive for holidays later in the year and next summer.”

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Having endured nine weeks of lockdown so far, many Britons are keen to get out and indulge in a UK holiday. Though international travel remains uncertain amid border lockdowns and airline disruption, the UK tourism industry thinks Britons taking domestic holidays could help them achieve a “boom” this summer.

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According to VisitBritain, the tourism industry has seen losses well into the billions.

However, many caravan and camping sites believe they will be able to open in Phase 3 of UK lockdown relaxation.

This is due to happen in July, though Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been quick to point out this will happen “if and only if the numbers support it”.

Workers in the industry say they have already seen an increase in interest, and believe that there is good news ahead.

However, this will only happen if the government allows Britons more freedoms and restarts the economy.

James Mason, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire told BBC News: “We’re expecting a boom to be honest.

“It’s a beautiful country that we are in today, it’s a beautiful country. Many people choose the UK as their holiday destination, so it’s on our doorstep.

“In the absence of international travel lets get out into the countryside, the coastline, and really cherish what’s on our doorstep.

“I think when it is safe and right to do so restrictions must be eased.”

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Similarly, founder of Jollyday Glamping Carolyn Van Outersterp told BBC News her business has already seen an increase in tentative bookings.

“We’ve already had bookings that have started to come in,” she said.

“We’ve got an awful lot of enquiries that are coming in as well.

“It’s particularly over the last couple of weeks as the weather gets nicer and people start to look ahead, so we are optimistic that things will start to pick up really quite quickly once we are able to open.”

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Likewise, online campsite guide and reservations site, Cool Camping, announced that it has actually seen an increase in people booking for July, August and September.

Many domestic holiday providers have also stressed their ability to create adequate social distancing measures.

Ms Van Outersterp added: “We would like to open now. Just because it’s a huge area, social distancing isn’t a problem.”

Speaking to Express.co.uk Rowland King, director of QualitySource, explained: “We think it will be possible for people to practise social distancing when travelling in the future. Of course, this will depend on where and how we plan to travel.”

Unsurprisingly, taking travel into your own hands rather than relying on public transport is one way to go about it.

“Travelling across the UK by car, for example, will be easier to practice social distancing rather than travelling abroad via plane,” Rowland said.

He added: “There are plenty of cheap and accessible camping parks to visit, and you can even go off-grid to save more money and ensure you practise social distancing more effectively.”

However, Dan Yates, Managing Director of Pitchup.com, told The Daily Telegraph that he thinks that “time will be tight” for camping businesses hoping to make money this summer.

He said: “In short, with a date of ‘no earlier’ than July 4, time will be tight to capitalise on this summer.

“Typically, the peak begins in the third week of July with the start of the school holidays and ends at August Bank Holiday.

“That said, we live in hope of an Indian summer.”

Source: Read Full Article

Holidays have been relegated to a distant dream due to the nightmare of the coronavirus crisis. At the peak of the virus, global travel ground to a complete halt. Thankfully, the world seems to be showing signs of recovery.

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A number of countries are starting to ease lockdown restrictions in a slow return to normality.

The UK is doing the same but strict rules still remain in place concerning travel.

Foreign travel is only permitted for “essential” purposes – and it’s not known when this restriction will be lifted.

But what about elsewhere?

These are the latest travel rules for three destinations much-loved by Britons – France, Turkey and Portugal.

France

It is not yet known exactly when tourists will be allowed back across the Channel.

Currently, only essential international travel is permitted although domestic travel is encouraged.

France began easing lockdown measures at the start of last week.

“France began progressive deconfinement from 11 May,” explained the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

“The Government has categorised each department as ‘red’ or ‘green’, dictating the extent to which measures can be relaxed.

Certain confinement measures may still apply depending on the department you are in.

“Most of the north and east of France, including Paris, are currently classified as red.”

All ski resorts in France are closed with immediate effect until further notice.

Face masks are obligatory on public transport for anyone over 11.

To be able to travel within or transit through France, you will need to complete a travel declaration to certify your reason for travel.

The FCO explained that the availability of transport from France to the UK is subject to change.

“Many airlines and cross-Channel operators are operating very substantially reduced services for passenger traffic,” said the government. “Passengers should check with their operator before departing, and may still be subject to severe disruption.

“Travel options to transport hubs, such as airports, ferry terminals and train stations are also majorly disrupted and options to buy food and refreshments are reduced.”

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Turkey

The Turkish embassy has said the country hopes to welcome tourists in the near future.

“Turkey is now expected to start going back to normal very soon,” a spokesperson said.

“We hope to start the holiday season in June, by gradually resuming international flights to Turkey.

“Of course, resumption of flights will depend on the progress of pandemic, quarantine measures being taken around the world and general outlook.

“Nevertheless, arrangements have been made to host guests in reliable, healthy and hygienic conditions throughout their visit to Turkey.”

Currently, travellers who are not Turkish nationals or residents of Turkey are not permitted to enter the country, with an international flight ban implemented in Turkey until June 1.

“At present there is no information about how soon airlines will resume their operations after it is lifted,” said the FCO. “Occasional ad hoc flights are still operating.”

On May, 18 the Turkish Government announced a nationwide four-day curfew from May 23-26 over Eid holiday period.

The wearing of masks is obligatory throughout Turkey in crowded places and on public transport.

Portugal

It is is not yet known exactly when holidays will be possible to Portugal.

Portugal began its de-escalation plan on May 4, with each stage due to last two weeks but this will depend on the continued control of the COVID-19 outbreak in Portugal.

Those arriving by air to mainland Portugal will be subject to health screening on arrival.

Your temperature will be checked and if it is high or you show signs of being unwell, you will be referred to the health authorities.

Cruise ships can berth at ports on mainland Portugal, but passengers can only disembark if they are Portuguese nationals or residents.

As for Madeira, travellers will be subject to health screening on arrival and 14-days’ mandatory quarantine.

If you are travelling to the Azores, you will be asked to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival.

Use of non-surgical masks is mandatory in enclosed spaces, public gatherings of more than 10 people are banned and public transport capacity is limited to two thirds.

“Beaches are currently accessible only for exercising and will be subject to measures on capacity and social distancing when full access is allowed from 6 June,“ explained the FCO.

Source: Read Full Article

Ryanair flights are set to start back up in July. The airline has insisted that it will be returning to 40 percent of normal flight scheduled from Wednesday July 1 2020. The new plans are subject to Government restrictions on intra-EU flights being lifted, and effective public health measures being put in place at airports.

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Ryanair will operate a daily flight schedule of almost 1,000 flights, restoring 90 percent of its pre-coronavirus route network.

The carrier has now predicted flight prices will fall in its latest update issued today.

“Most of Ryanair’s fleet was grounded from mid-March by EU Government flight bans and restrictions,” said Ryanair.

“These groundings reduced our March and full-year traffic by over 5m guests and cut FY20 profits by over €40m.  

“As updated on 1 May, Ryanair expects to operate less than one percent of its scheduled flying programme in Q1 (April to June).  

“Some return to flight services is expected in Q2 (July-September) and Ryanair expects to carry no more than 50 percent of its original Q2 traffic target of 44.6m, as bookings will be impacted by public health restrictions (temperature checks and face coverings for passengers and staff) and quarantine requirements.  

“When Group airlines return to scheduled flying from July, the competitive landscape in Europe will be distorted by unprecedented quantums of State Aid (in breach of EU rules) under which over €30bn has been gifted to the Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM, Alitalia, SAS and Norwegian among others.

“We therefore expect that traffic on reduced flight schedules will be subject to significant price discounting, and below cost selling, from these flag carriers with huge State Aid war chests.”

Ryanair also said the airline would easily survive the crisis.

“Ryanair’s balance sheet is one of the strongest in the industry with a current cash balance of €4.1bn,” stated the update.

“Since mid-March, the Group has implemented a series of measures to preserve cash, cut costs, cancel share buybacks and defer operating and non-essential capex spending.  

“As a result, average weekly cash burn has dropped from approx. €200m in March to just over €60m in May.  

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• Ryanair chief blasts ‘idiotic’ coronavirus two weeks quarantine rule

“This liquidity will enable the Group to weather Covid-19 and emerge stronger when the crisis passes. Our focus will remain on cash preservation/generation and the repayment of maturing debt over the next 24 months.”

Adam Vettese, analyst at multi-asset investment platform eToro, commented on the latest results: “Considering everything, Ryanair’s full-year results are actually very strong, to the delight of shareholders.

“But what is equally important for shareholders is how Ryanair views the competitive landscape post-Covid-19. That’s where things get less rosy.

“Passenger numbers will be significantly reduced for most of 2020 and perhaps even 2021, which will have a devastating effect on the bottom line.

“On top of that, many of its rivals have received generous state aid and will probably be able slash fares once planes take to the sky again, meaning we could be on the verge of a profit-busting price war.

“That could be the final nail in the coffin for some carriers and only those with the strongest balance sheets, like Ryanair, are likely to survive.”

Today, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, the British Government had mismanaged its response to the novel coronavirus outbreak for many weeks and its policy on a 14-day quarantine for international travellers was “idiotic”.

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