Ryanair, Europe’s largest low-cost airline, said Tuesday it will be grounding all its aircraft and those of associate airlines including Malta Air, and does not expect to operate any flights in April and May.

The decision was taken following restrictions on movement imposed by European governments in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19 coronavirus.

It said it expected its aircraft across the group to the grounded from Tuesday.
Aircraft have however been offered to all EU governments to operate special flights to repatriate stranded passengers, for the transport of vital medicine, personal protective equipment and, if necessary, food.

All passengers who had booked flights will, over the coming two weeks, receive an email outlining their options.

“In Ryanair, Buzz, Lauda and Malta Air, we will do everything we can to keep our aircraft, our crews and our engineering teams operational so that when Europe defeats this Covid-19 pandemic, we are ready to return to flying, to allow Europe’s citizens to go back to work, to visit friends/family and to rebuild Europe’s tourism industry, upon which so many millions of jobs and families depend,” the group said.