The cost of last-minute Ryanair flights to Dublin from some countries neighbouring Ukraine is up to 13 times higher in the coming days when compared to the same day in the following week.
According to the United Nations, at least one million people have fled Ukraine in the week since Russia's invasion.
Many Ukrainian people have been taken in by neighbouring countries, such as Poland and Romania, while others intend to continue their journey by flying to other parts of Europe.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said up to 20,000 Ukrainian refugees could be accommodated in Ireland.
However, the price of Ryanair flights from these countries to Dublin for the coming days is much higher than they are in normal times, according to an analysis of online prices.
The cost of flights from Warsaw, in Poland, to Dublin varies dramatically over the course of the week ahead.
On Sunday, March 6th, there are two Ryanair flights operating from Warsaw to Dublin. The first, at 11.25am, costs €260 without checked-in baggage, while a later flight, at 21.45, costs €361. Both flights were booked out by noon on Thursday.
The following Sunday, March 13th, the cost of the same journey is €21 and €27 respectively.
Flights from Krakow to Dublin for this weekend are between €122 and €212, before falling to more typical prices of around €30 by Tuesday.
A Ryanair flight from Krakow to London Stansted costs between €30 and €90 on Sunday, while an Easyjet flight from Krakow to London Gatwick on Sunday is around £40.
A flight from Bucharest, Romania, to Dublin on March 7th is €320, compared with €37.99 one week later.
Google flights said the prices for these journeys are currently "high", with the least expensive flights for similar trips to Dublin at this time usually costing between €16 and €55.
Ryanair flights from Slovakia are considerably cheaper, coming in at about €24 before baggage from Bratislava to Dublin for most of the week ahead.
Ryanair did not respond to requests for comments on prices and availability of flights following the Russian invasion of Ukraine by the time of publication.
Free flights
On Wednesday, Hungarian airline Wizz Air announced it was offering 100,000 free flights throughout March for fleeing Ukrainians, and reduced fares for Ukrainians that are stranded in other locations.
Refugees must book through the company’s dedicated rescue website and provide a passport or ID card number to avail of the offer.
Senator Jerry Buttimer, Fine Gael's Seanad spokesman on transport, has called on all airlines to keep flight prices as low as possible to ensure people can reach safety.
He spoke of a Ukrainian woman who had to pay €500 for three one-way tickets from Warsaw to Dublin.
“This woman spoke about the barrier this cost would present for many people, saying that flights at these prices are simply too expensive for people running from war,” he said.
“These high prices are effectively preventing people from arriving in Ireland and other countries that are ready to welcome Ukrainians with open arms.”
