Ryanair boss slams 'useless' UK 14-day quarantine plan
By Frank Prenesti
Date: Thursday 04 Jun 2020
(Sharecast News) - Britain's plan to quarantine international visitors for 14 days was slammed as "useless and ineffective" by Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary on Thursday.
The head of the budget airline said the scheme, to stop another outbreak of the virus, would do "untold damage" to the UK's tourism industry. Quarantining will start on June 8.
"You don't have a quarantine, people are going to be allowed to come in next week through Heathrow and Gatwick, they then get on the London Underground, the trains, the buses, the taxis, to get to their destination. They can stop off at the supermarket, they can play a round of golf," Michael O'Leary told the BBC.
"This is going to do untold damage to British tourism, the thousands of hotels and restaurants and guest houses all over the UK that depend on European visitors will be deterred by this useless and ineffective quarantine."
On Wednesday night O'Leary accused the government of "one shambles after another of mismanagement, making it up as they go along".
The government proposals have been criticised by airlines, airports, the travel industry and Conservative MPs who are concerned it will deter people from travelling to the UK and Britons from going abroad.
In a separate announcement, Austrian unions and labour group said a wage agreement aimed at saving Ryanair-owned airline Lauda's Vienna base had been agreed, subject to approval of the parent company.
O'Leary had threatened to close Lauda's main hub in Vienna and bring in Ryanair planes unless staff took a pay cut and negotiated a new labour agreement.
Lauda on Friday said the operation would be shut after failing to reach a pay deal in a move expected to involve the loss of around 370 jobs.
However, Austria's Vida union and the Chamber of Commerce (WKO), which represents businesses in negotiations with unions, both said a deal up to 2023 had been agreed.
"After long and difficult negotiations and repeated attempts by the WKO to bring about a compromise, a solution for a collective wage agreement was achieved on Wednesday night," the WKO said.
The Vida union said the deal involved a gross monthly wage of €1,440 for flight attendants and €2,000 for co-pilots.
"It is now up to Laudamotion and Ryanair to accept the Austrian social partners' collective wage agreement and thereby save its employees' jobs and its base at Vienna airport," Vida said.
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