The flight will depart from London this evening.
Ryanair has announced that it is working with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to operate a rescue flight for eligible Irish citizens currently stranded in the United Kingdom just before Christmas.
A Ryanair flight will depart London Stansted for Dublin Airport at 5pm today (22 December).
Eligible Irish citizens who wish to avail of the flight have been asked to contact the Department of Foreign Affairs on +353 1 6311700 or to send a direct message to Ryanair on Twitter for details.
All seats on the flight are priced at €95 one way.
We are working with the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs to operate a rescue flight for eligible Irish citizens who are stranded in the UK – please see the details here: pic.twitter.com/n2SSxvTbfq
— Ryanair Press Team (@RyanairPress) December 22, 2020
A travel ban from the UK, in response to the identification of a new strain of Covid-19 in the south-east of England, is currently in effect in Ireland and is due to expire at midnight tonight (22 December).
It is expected to be extended by the government on Tuesday as part of a series of restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19 following a rise in cases in recent days.
On Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that arrangements are being put in place to facilitate the return of Irish citizens from the UK to Ireland, limited to two specific categories:
- International travellers to Ireland who are travelling through Great Britain
- Irish people normally resident in Ireland, who are currently on short trips to Great Britain, and need to get back to Ireland within the next few days. This includes citizens who have travelled to Great Britain for emergency medical treatment.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said it was exploring flight and ferry options to facilitate the return of eligible citizens and requested patience in its attempts to do so.
⚠️ Important Travel Advice – GB
Please contact the GB Emergency Travel Helpline if you fall into the categories below ☎️ +353 (0) 1 613 1700 pic.twitter.com/nbNkrtzTYs
— Irish Foreign Ministry (@dfatirl) December 21, 2020
The Ryanair flight is expected to be one of two consular flights to facilitate the return of Irish citizens to Ireland, while arrangements are also being made to grant exceptional ferry access to Irish citizens who are currently in the United Kingdom having made a short trip by car.
More information on the UK travel ban is available on the Department of Foreign Affairs website here.
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