Ryanair urges transport secretary to axe ‘nonsensical’ PCR testing for green list travellers

Testing requirements can run into hundreds of pounds

A wooden footbridge leads to the beach at Praia do Camilo in Portugal’s Algarve region, on the UK’s ‘green list’ (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Europe’s largest airline is calling for the transport secretary to axe the “nonsensical” requirement for green list arrivals to take two PCR tests when they return to the UK, as well as abolishing restrictions for those who are fully vaccinated.

Currently, all arrivals from destinations on the green list, which includes Portugal, Gibraltar and Iceland, have to take a PCR test within two days of landing, regardless of vaccination status.

A cheaper negative lateral flow test must also be presented to airline staff before departure back to the UK.

The testing requirement for UK arrivals can run into hundreds of pounds for a family; research from Which? showed that a family of four could face a testing bill of up to £1,500 for a holiday.

Ryanair has urged Grant Shapps to abolish travel restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers, and to axe the current requirement to present a negative day two PCR test, which the airline says “only adds cost and stress to UK citizens despite returning from low-risk EU destinations”.

The next review to the green list is slated for Thursday 3 June.

The call comes amid a bumpy tourism restart, which has seen airlines and tour companies pile on capacity to Portugal, the only mainstream holiday destination on the safe list.

Spain, which remains on the UK’s “amber list”, requiring 10 days of self-isolation for returning travellers, last week opened its doors to British tourists without restriction.

Ryanair argues that as the UK’s vaccine rollout continues at pace and infections are dropping, “restriction-free travel within Europe should be allowed this summer”.

“The highly successful UK vaccine rollout has already enabled hundreds and thousands of British families to book their flights to Portugal this summer, and today we call on minister Grant Shapps to include all EU countries in the next revision of the UK’s green list so UK holidaymakers can travel restriction-free to the beaches of Spain, Greece and Italy – all of whom have opened their doors to British visitors this summer,” said Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary.

“The UK government must scrap the nonsensical requirement of PCR tests for those returning from low-risk (green) countries.

“There is no point in setting up a traffic light system if ‘green’ still requires additional measures that significantly add to the cost of a family trip.

“There is no justification for the UK government to delay the removal of all travel restrictions for those who have been fully vaccinated when research from Public Health England has demonstrated that two doses of the Covid-19 vaccines are highly effective against the Indian variant.

“We look forward to seeing all of Europe open to restriction-free travel for British families this summer, and to welcoming millions of British guests on board very soon.”