Aer Lingus welcomes Interim Report of the Taskforce for Aviation Recovery; calls on the Government to implement recommendations

  • Report calls for lifting of 14-day quarantine and easing of travel restrictions from 1 July
  • Air transport key enabler of Ireland’s economic recovery

Dublin, Ireland, 2020-Jun-24 — /Travel PR News/ — Aer Lingus today (June 23, 2020) welcomed the Interim Report of the Task force for Aviation Recovery and called on the Government to implement its recommendations.

The Taskforce, under the chairmanship of Chris Horn, has identified a number of items that need to be actioned by Government on an immediate basis.

The report calls for urgent clarity on the plan for the lifting the 14-day quarantine period and the easing of travel restrictions, both of which the report says should be done by 1 July.

The report notes that Ireland is now significantly behind other European Union Member States in that it has failed to act upon the European Commission’s invitation to lift all border restrictions within the Union by 15th June. Other Member States have already progressively restored transport services and connectivity in response to this invitation.

The report also calls for the urgent conclusion and publication of the national Code of Practice for Safe Air Travel to facilitate its implementation by 1 July and for the continuation of existing financial support measures, including the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme.

Commenting on the Interim Report the Chief Executive of Aer Lingus, Sean Doyle, said “The Covid-19 crisis is having a catastrophic effect on the aviation industry. Ireland’s failure to take steps that other European Member States have already taken has exacerbated the crisis in Irish aviation. This is having a negative impact upon jobs within the industry and upon the industry’s ability to recover.

As an island economy with a huge reliance on connectivity and mobility, Ireland needs the urgent recommencement of operations in aviation. Air transport will be an early enabler of economic recovery, allowing people, goods and investment to flow back into the economy. This will be critical to the recovery of the Irish economy.

Aer Lingus looks forward to the urgent implementation of the Task force’s Interim Recommendations.”

Source: Aer Lingus

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