(Adds industry context)
LONDON, June 8 (Reuters) - Ryanair will not cancel
flights to and from the United Kingdom despite the introduction
of a 14-day quarantine for international travellers because
thousands of Britons are still booking holidays, boss Michael
O'Leary said on Monday.
New rules requiring all arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days
came into effect on Monday even though Ryanair, Europe's biggest
budget airline, easyJet and BA-owner IAG have
threatened legal action over what they cast as a draconian move
that will cripple the British tourism industry.
The quarantine is designed to prevent a second surge of
COVID-19 and in England a breach of the rules will be punishable
with a 1,000 pound fine. It will be reviewed every three weeks
and "air bridges" are being discussed with some top European
destinations such as Portugal.
Asked whether Ryanair would cancel July and August flights
if the quarantine remained in place during those months, group
CEO O'Leary said: "No, because the flights are full outbound of
the UK. British people are ignoring this quarantine, they know
it's rubbish."
"Ryanair is operating a thousand daily flights to points all
over Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece from the 1st of July, the
2nd, the 3rd and every day after that."
With planes around the world grounded since late March,
airlines had hoped to start flying from July to rescue their
summer season.
The three airlines have sent a "pre-action protocol letter",
which can be followed by legal action, to denounce the
quarantine plan as "wholly unjustified and disproportionate".
O'Leary said he expected British tourists to still book
holidays in Europe but that European tourists would be put off
travelling to Britain, hammering the domestic tourism industry.
(Reporting by Kate Holton and Estelle Shirbon; editing by Guy
Faulconbridge)