© Horacio Villalobos - Corbis/Corbis via Getty ImagesRyanair CEO Michael O'Leary
The CEO of
Ryanair doesn't think much of the U.K. government's plan to isolate incoming
travelers.
During a Monday interview on BBC's "Today" radio program, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary criticized the proposed idea, which would require all international travelers - save those from Ireland and a few nearby islands - to quarantine for 14 days upon arriving in the U.K., in an effort to stem the spread of
COVID-19."It's idiotic and it's unimplementable," O'Leary said. The outspoken CEO further predicted that any such requirements would be abandoned by "the end of June."
Prime Minister Boris Johnson first outlined the idea last week, per
The Telegraph, revealing that incoming air travelers would be asked to provide the address of where they would be isolating for their first 14 days, and that they could face fines if caught breaking their quarantine. The U.K. government initially suggested that travelers from France would be exempt from the rule, too, before limiting the exceptions to only those from Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, per the
BBC.
The full details of the government's plans have yet to be officially announced, but that didn't stop O'Leary from ripping the proposal.
"This government is telling you that you can't fly unless you isolate for 14 days, yet you can go on the London Underground and you don't have to isolate for 14 days," he said during the "Today" program, according to the
Telegraph.
"They're making this stuff up as they go along, and none of it has any basis in science."
O'Leary then proposed an alternate idea, claiming it would be more effective to simply require "everybody" to wear masks.
O'Leary had previously spoken out about other coronavirus health measures, including the idea of
blocking middle seats on flights, calling it "kind of an idiotic idea that doesn't achieve anything anyway," in an interview with the
Financial Times.
Meanwhile, the airline recently announced that all passengers will be required to ask for permission to use the planes' restrooms as part of the carrier's latest
coronavirus response measures.
Fox News' Alexandra Deabler contributed to this report.
Since they started locking us down into our seats post 9/11, and I follow advice to HYDRATE on flights (water a thing of the past?) you already can only go to WC when they turn off the seatbelt sign for 15 minutes ever 5-6 hours of flight time. I've had flight attendants tell me ... when zero turbulence ... "the seatbelt sign is (always) on, I am supposed to tell you to return to your seat," (and then they open the bathroom door for me with a wink).
No worries, in a day when we should all be making decisions for ourselves, I will fly with an empty cup for such purposes, rather than ask permission from ANYbody to engage in bodily elimination. Yes, as a femme, it will be challenging, but not impossible, and SO worth it when the flight attendant comes to pick up trash items at end of flight