Budget airline Ryanair has refused to fully implement Government measures designed to increase passenger awareness of the risks of the SARS virus, ireland.comhas learned.
The airline wrote to the Department of Transport stating it would only partially implement measures recommended to counter the spread of SARS and to increase passenger awareness of the virus.
The Department of Transport, following consultation with the Department of Health, wrote to airlines operating in Ireland on April 25th asking them to adopt certain measures designed to increase awareness of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
The letter asked airlines to make in-flight announcements and to distribute leaflets to passengers informing them of symptoms of the SARS virus, which has caused hundreds of deaths in Asia and Canada.
ireland.comhas learned the Department of Transport received a letter from Ryanair a week later which, it understands, states Ryanair would not make any in-flight announcements and that it would only distribute leaflets to passengers on incoming flights to Dublin for one week.
The Department of Transport related the contents of the letter to the Department of Health. A spokesperson for the Department of Health told ireland.comit would contact Ryanair over the matter.
Ryanair could not be contacted for comment this evening.
