Budget airlines slashing prices to coronavirus destinations, angering Parliament

Multiple parties in parliament are annoyed by budget airlines offering discounted tickets to coronavirus hotspots. They called on Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen of Infrastructure and Water Management to put a stop to this practice, RTL Nieuws reports.

Last week Ryanair sold tickets to destinations like Ibiza, Madrid and Malta for 5 euros apiece. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a code orange travel warning in place for these destinations, due to the high number of coronavirus infections there. That means that no recreational travel is allowed - all but absolutely necessary trips are strongly discouraged. Other budget airlines also try to attract customers with competitive offers, according to the broadcaster.

And that is not the intention, according to GroenLinks, D66, CDA, PvdA, SP, and ChristenUnie. In a parliamentary debate on Thursday, they will ask Van Nieuwenhuizen to talk to airlines about putting an end to these practices. The SP even wants to ban holiday flights to code orange areas completely.

Parliamentarians also still have questions about Covid-19 testing at Schiphol airport. The testing facility there is only open during the day and can test a maximum of 1,400 people per day. MPs want the opening hours to be extended, as flights from hotspots also arrive at night. The D66 also wants the government to use quick tests at Schiphol.

"Then you need fewer of those expensive tests, but you can check everyone who enters Schiphol on a risk flight," D66 parliamentarian Jan Paternotte said to the broadcaster.