Aer Lingus and Ryanair have been drafted in to airlift up to 20,000 Irish tourists home from Spain before the end of the week.
The Department of Foreign Affairs says Irish people need be on their way home before midnight on Thursday.
It’s because of mounting uncertainty about air travel in Europe as countries impose restrictions to deal with covid-19.
The Department of Foreign Affairs made the call last night.
Aer Lingus will use its biggest planes to help make the airlift possible, using widebody planes that normally fly to North America.
Both it and Ryanair are waiving rebooking fees and seat charges.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney says people can still enjoy a few more days abroad — but they need to be ready to come home early.
Information on mainland Spain and Canary Islands operations.
To change bookings visit https://t.co/wnhy6bGKXT pic.twitter.com/XRa5sqxwcP
— Aer Lingus (@AerLingus) March 15, 2020
Customer Notice: Ryanair Group reduces flights to/from Spain from Monday 16 March to Thursday 19 March.
All affected customers will receive an email notification informing them of their options: pic.twitter.com/0R1Ib65tKb
— Ryanair (@Ryanair) March 15, 2020
