Ryanair to Stop ALL Flights from March 24 and uses ERTE Mechanism to Keep on 15,000 Staff Members in Spain

Ryanair will stop flying from 24:00hrs on Tuesday of March 24.

As a consequence of the coronavirus crisis, the low-cost airline, Ryanair, will stop all flights from 24:00hrs on Tuesday the 24^th of March, except if flights are strictly necessary. Moreover, it is preparing to file a temporary employment regulation, known as ERTE, which will affect around 15,000 employees who reside in Spain.

This ERTE will consist of a 50% reduction in their working day and flight hours, and is to be applied to the entire workforce. These measures would be valid until April.

“We hope that the majority, if not all, of Ryanair group flights will be suspended, except a small number of flights intended to keep essential connectivity, especially between the United Kingdom and Ireland” said the company in a press release.

They added that they are getting into contact with their customers and that the details of this “drastic reduction of programming” can be further consulted on their webpage. Sources highlight that the Ryanair staff are yet to receive any information that they will stop flying.

The coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis within the air transport industry, which had never before been in seen in its history. Half of the airlines have half of their planes on the ground and they have calculated an estimated loss of 101,196 million euros, as predicted by IATA, the International Air Transport Association.