AIRLINES have called for "complete openness and transparency" from the UK government after the only viable major tourist destination for Northern Ireland holidaymakers was removed from the 'green list.
Portugal has been placed on the amber list meaning quarantine-free travel ends from Tuesday and anyone returning from the country to the north must self-isolate at home for 10 days.
But Jet2 has hit out at the move and said the "UK continues to remain largely grounded whilst the rest of Europe opens up". It also confirmed it would be cancelling all flights and holidays until July 1 in the wake of this news.
It comes after the Executive announced on Thursday that Portugal was being removed its so-called green list of destinations after the British government also opted to do so.
It is a massive blow for the travel industry, as Portugal was considered the only viable major tourist destination on the green list.
Ryanair, which last operated out of Belfast City Airport 11 years ago, only resumed flights to Faro in the Algarve this week, while EasyJet and Jet2 fly several times a week to Faro from Belfast International Airport.
Steve Heapy from Jet2 said they shared the "concerns and frustrations" of travellers.
"The UK government has repeatedly stated that it is making decisions based on infection and vaccination rates, yet many destinations continue to be left off the green list despite having low infection rates and high vaccination rates," he said.
"When you apply the government’s own criteria for making decisions about travel, we simply cannot understand why more destinations across Europe, the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands are not allowed to open to UK holidaymakers.
"We are now calling for complete openness and transparency when it comes to the data, so that customers and the industry can really understand what is driving these decisions.
"We agree that public health must be the number one priority.
"However, despite all the evidence and data showing that travel can restart safely and at scale, the UK continues to remain largely grounded whilst the rest of Europe opens up."
Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary said he believed the government was "making it up as they go along" and causing "unnecessary disruption" over the change in travel rules for Portugal.
Johan Lundgren from EasyJet said it was a "huge blow".
"With Portuguese rates similar to those in the UK it simply isn’t justified by the science," he said.
"And to add no more countries to the green list when most of Europe’s infection rates are on a downward trend and many places with low infection rates below that of the UK, this makes no sense."
