Ryanair has launched a Covid-19 "travel wallet" on its app, which will allow passengers to upload negative PCR test results, Covid vaccination certificates and other Covid-19 related documents which may be needed for EU travel this summer.
The airline is hoping that the widespread rollout of vaccines in the weeks and months ahead across the EU and in the UK will see travel restrictions relaxed and the rapid return of leisure travel this summer.
It says its Covid Certificate Wallet will make travel “as seamless as possible for customers”.
The wallet will allow people to store all Covid-related material in a single location on the airline’s app, something which should make pre-travel preparations easier while also speeding up the check-in and boarding processes at airports, something which, for many years has been a key focus of the airline’s business model.
Ryanair is moving ahead with its plans at a faster rate than the EU or most individual counties, and while there are talks about rolling out of some form of EU-wide vaccine passport this year, it is likely to take time for it to be implemented.
'We are very pleased to launch this Ryanair C-19 Travel Wallet as we prepare for the return of family holidays in Summer '21," Ryanair's director of marketing, Dara Brady said.
“Many Ryanair customers will be taking their first holiday in over a year, adhering to new travel guidelines and this C-19 Travel Wallet allows customers to store all of their Covid documents such as PCR test results, passenger locator forms and vaccine certificates in the one location with zero fuss or paperwork to worry about,” he added.
While travel restrictions remain in place in Ireland, with Government ministers and public health officials casting doubt on the likelihood that leisure travel will resume in any meaningful way, Ryanair's Summer 2021 schedule has gone on sale.
"We believe that once the high-risk/elderly population of Europe is vaccinated by the end of May or June, travel restrictions will be relaxed and air travel will experience a bounce back from pent-up customer demand that will see European families travelling again for well-earned summer holidays to the beaches of Spain, Italy, Portugal and Greece this summer," Mr Bradley continued.
Last month the Taoiseach Micheál Martin dangled the prospect of an accelerated Covid-19 vaccination programme, which would see more than 80 per cent of adults offered at least one dose by June 30th.
It has been described by industry figures as a “chink of light” which could allow international travel to resume this summer, although they have also warned against booking overseas holidays just yet as the picture of what is likely to happen in the months ahead remains far from clear.
Greece is one of the most popular locations for Irish travellers and it has said it hopes to reopen its doors to visitors on May 14th.
The country's tourism minister Haris Theoharis told the IBT Berlin tourism fair, the world's largest, that after this date, Greece would welcome anyone who had been vaccinated, had antibodies or had tested negative for coronavirus.
“We aim to open tourism by 14 May with specific rules and updated protocols,” he said. “Until then, we will gradually lift restrictions if conditions allow.”
Other countries including Malta, Cyprus and Israel are also working on reopening for people who have been vaccinated against the disease.
