Ryanair is planning to resume 40 per cent of its flights from 1 July, subject to travel restrictions being lifted and safety measures being implemented at the airports it serves.

According to the airline, it will operate around 1,000 flights a day across 90 per cent of its pre-coronavirus route network. It said there will be fewer daily and weekly frequencies on trunk routes in favour of restoring services on the widest number of routes.

Cabin crew will wear face masks or coverings throughout the flight, and passengers are being told to do the same both in the airport and on the plane. Customers are also being asked to check their temperature before travelling and have been advised that it may be checked at the airport.

To limit face-to-face contact with staff, Ryanair is asking passengers to check in online, download their boarding pass and where possible choose the airline¡¯s Priority option, which gives them two cabin bags to keep their luggage with them. Customers can use the automated bag drops for checked bags and are advised to use hand sanitiser or wash their hands frequently as they pass through the airport.

During boarding, queues at gates will be limited and passengers will be asked to have their passports open and scan their own boarding pass to limit contact. Aircraft will be cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis. In-flight services will be limited to wrapped snacks and drinks, and sales will be cashless. Queuing for toilets will be prohibited on board the aircraft, with passengers told to request access from a member of the cabin crew.

As the EU begins lifting some of its lockdown measures, Ryanair will ask passengers to provide details of where they are staying and how long they will be in the country to allow governments to monitor any isolation regulations they may require from intra-EU visitors.

Ryanair CEO Eddie Wilson said: ¡°After four months, it is time to get Europe flying again so we can reunite friends and families, allow people to return to work, and restart Europe¡¯s tourism industry, which provides so many millions of jobs.

¡°Ryanair will work closely with public health authorities to ensure that these flights comply, where possible, with effective measures to limit the spread of Covid-19.¡±

Wilson also echoed a comment made by Ryanair Group chief executive Michael O¡¯Leary that face masks are the most effective way to prevent the spread of coronavirus on board aircraft. O¡¯Leary openly hit back at some airlines¡¯ decision to leave middle seats empty, saying the idea was not financially viable. ?

Ryanair operates several routes to Europe from the UK, which recently announced it will impose a 14-day quarantine on international air passengers coming from any country other than France.

The airline is planning to make up to 3,000 staff redundant, mainly pilots and cabin crew, as it prepares for a market with decreased passenger demand.