Ryanair drags Ireland to court on travel restrictions

Ryanair has initiated legal proceedings against Ireland, questioning the legality of travel restrictions that have kept a quarantine policy in place for all but 15 countries.

The Irish carrier, Europe’s largest budget airline, said it is challenging what it described as the Irish government’s “ineffective” green list of countries, for which a 14-day quarantine requirement does not apply, Reuters reports.

Ireland has taken a more cautious approach to reopening its economy and skies than many European countries. The green list, announced on July 22, contained some popular destinations Ryanair flies to, such as Italy and Greece, but not others including Britain, France and Spain.

This list is due to be reviewed next week and is unlikely to be enlarged, Reuters says.

Asked about reports of a potential challenge by Ryanair on Sunday, Deputy Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the government would wait to see what case the airline made but that the advice from the authorities on travel was clear.