Ryanair
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has warned the new quarantine rules for UK arrivals is a 'shambles'
RYANAIR boss Michael O'Leary has hit out once again over the government's 14-day quarantine rules being enforced from next week, calling them a 'shambles'.

He also warned that they won't be enforced as it relies on passengers self-isolating without being monitored.

2Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has warned the new quarantine rules for UK arrivals is a 'shambles'

Mr O'Leary, who has previously slammed the travel rules, told ITV yesterday: "It's been one shambles after another, of mismanagement, making it up as they go along, and the latest of which has been today's frankly shambolic announcement of an ineffective and useless quarantine."

He added: "People now have to fill in a form which the UK government hasn't even published yet."

Yesterday, the government announced that the new quarantine restrictions will start from June 8 and run for at least three weeks.

The plan includes:
  • Travellers to the UK from Monday will have to quarantine in one specific address for 14 days when they come into the UK
  • They will have to fill in a form and have a receipt with them to prove they've handed over their contact details to authorities
  • They will face spot checks and could face £1,000 fines if they break them
  • But they will be allowed to break the two-week coronavirus quarantine to pop out for food, attend funerals and can use public transport
  • Those from the Common Travel Area - Ireland, the Channel Islands and The Isle of Man - will be exempt
  • The Government confirmed there was a list of exemptions to the controversial rules - but said these were only in case of an emergency
  • The measures will be reviewed every three weeks - starting in the week of June 28
Mr O'Leary continued: "The problem with this quarantine is, it's not a quarantine. You know a quarantine is only effective if you kind of trap people or gather people at the point of entry."

"Here, they're asking people to fill in a nonexistent form on arrival at Heathrow or Gatwick, then get on to London Underground or the trains, buses, public transport, stop off in Tesco, maybe go to Halfords before you reach your quarantine address."

He also warned that people would ignore the guidelines and easily lie to authorities about following the restrictions, adding: "You give them your mobile phone number and in the unlikely event that anybody calls you over the next two weeks, you can answer the phone from a beach, from a golf course, from your office, from your local demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament and say, 'Yes I'm quarantining away in perfect compliance.'"

The quarantine rules have been slammed by both scientists and tourism chiefs as an effective way to contain the virus.

Mark Woolhouse, of the University of Edinburgh, a member of the SPI-M group, which models the pandemic for the Government's own Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), took aim at the scheme.

He told The Times: "It's a very odd time to bring it in. It makes no sense as a public health measure."

Heathrow boss John Holland Kaye warned he'll have to cut jobs in weeks if there's no plan to exit the 14-day quarantine plan, while more than 300 tourism leaders have warned of 'economic disaster' if it goes ahead.

Ryanair hopes to restart flights from July with hundreds of routes to Europe on a limited schedule.

One way holidays could be saved this year is through air bridges - an agreement between two countries to allow quarantine-free travel for both citizens.

These are likely to be between the UK and any country which has a lower daily infection rate - which is the majority of European destinations.

UK's 14-day quarantine for foreign travel will be over by June predicts Ryanair boss - as he calls it 'stupid'