Ryanair warns they may have to ground all flights due to coronavirus

Ryanair has warned they may have to ground all flights across Europe due to travel restrictions and a dip in demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement released today, the budget airline said seating capacity will likely be cut by 80 per cent during April and May, and that the “full grounding of the fleet can not be ruled out.”

In the past week, flight bans of varying degrees have been imposed in Italy, Malta, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Poland, Norway and Cyprus. At the weekend, for example, Poland and Norway banned all international flights while in other countries (without travel bans) there has been a severe reduction of air traffic control and other essential airport services.

All of Ryanair's flights could be grounded due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak.

Ryanair expects these restrictions will mean grounding the majority of its aircraft fleet across Europe in the next seven to 10 days.

And they said that, in those countries where the fleet is not grounded, social distancing restrictions may make flying “impractical, if not, impossible.”

Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary said they were doing “everything they can” to fight the effects of coronavirus, which had over the past week caused “extraordinary and unprecedented travel restrictions” to be imposed by governments at very short notice.

Mr O’Leary added: “We are communicating with all affected passengers by email and SMS, and we are organising rescue flights to repatriate customers, even in those countries where travel bans have been imposed.

“Our priority remains the health and welfare of our people and our passengers, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that they can be reunited with their friends and families during these difficult times.

“Ryanair is taking all actions necessary to cut operating expenses, and improve cash flows at each of our airlines. Ryanair is a resilient airline group, with a very strong balance sheet, and substantial cash liquidity, and we can, and will, with appropriate and timely action, survive through a prolonged period of reduced or even zero flight schedules, so that we are adequately prepared for the return to normality, which will come about sooner rather than later as EU Governments take unprecedented action to restrict the spread of Covid-19”.

Ryanair is also freezing recruitment, implementing a series of voluntary leave options, temporarily suspending employment contracts and bringing in “significant” reductions to working hours and payments.

The company says it is working with their people and unions across all EU countries this unprecedented COVID-19 event, the duration of which is impossible to determine.