Millions of families are 'ignoring' Government advice and rushing to amber list countries, says Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary

• Michael O'Leary tells the Mail on Sunday that Ryanair has seen surge in demand 
• 'In the last couple of weeks, we have seen UK families booking their summer holidays even if it’s on an amber list and there’s some uncertainty'
• It comes as his airline announced it has taken 1.75 million summer bookings Families are ‘ignoring’ the Government’s advice to avoid booking holidays to countries on the amber list, Ryanair’s boss has revealed.

  Michael O’Leary told The Mail on Sunday that his airline had seen a huge surge in demand for summer holidays over the past two weeks.

  He said Ryanair had already taken 1.75 million bookings for this summer and into September, despite the Government ‘flip-flopping’ over UK travel restrictions.

  ‘In the last couple of weeks, we have seen UK families booking their summer holidays even if it’s on an amber list and there’s some uncertainty,’ O’Leary said.

  ‘Most customers are now ignoring the Government’s mixed messages and just booking their flights. 

  

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  Michael O’Leary told The Mail on Sunday that Ryanair had seen a huge surge in demand for summer holidays over the past two weeks

  'Everybody realises the restrictions are going to be gone by the time you get to the end of June and into July and August,’ he added.

  Ryanair expects to carry 1.7 million passengers in May, rising to five million in June and eight or even ten million by July. 

  ‘We are looking at going from 15 per cent [of capacity] to 90 per cent over the space of four or five months,’ chief executive Mr O’Leary said.The Government is struggling to stop people booking trips to amber destinations after Spain on Friday joined Italy, Greece and Portugal in lifting bans on non-essential travel from the UK. 

  From Monday, Spain will allow visitors from the UK to enter the country without a negative PCR test.

  

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  The Government is struggling to stop people booking trips to amber destinations after Spain on Friday joined Italy, Greece and Portugal in lifting bans on non-essential travel from the UKMr O’Leary said: ‘Much as we think Bognor Regis is wonderful, and so is Blackpool, it really doesn’t compare to the beaches of Spain, Italy and Greece.’

  ‘Everybody is now booking for the school holidays.’

  Mr O’Leary said air fares could rise by between ten and 20 per cent next summer and again in summer 2023. But he insisted the days of low-cost travel are ‘far from over’.