Ryanair will cut the number of flights it offers between the UK and Ireland from next month in response to what it brands as “defective” quarantine measures on the Emerald Isle.

During August and September the low-cost carrier will offer 1,000 fewer flights, or some 200,000 seats, in response to a decision by Irish authorities to quarantine arrivals from the EU.

Flights from Ireland account for around eight per cent of all traffic at Ryanair.

A spokesperson for low-cost carrier said: “Last week when the UK and Northern Ireland removed travel restrictions on short haul flights to/from the European Union, Ireland became the only country in the EU with a blanket 14-day quarantine restriction on all arrivals from EU countries, most of which have lower Covid-19 case rates than Ireland.

“It makes no sense, when governments all over Europe have opened up EU flights since June 1st and removed travel restrictions on intra-EU travel, that the Irish government continues to treat countries like Germany, Denmark and Greece as if they were suffering similar levels of Covid-19 as the USA, Brazil and India.

“Irish citizens are being advised by their government that they should not travel to and from EU countries, yet citizens of Northern Ireland can travel freely to and from the EU – via Dublin Airport – without any quarantine restrictions whatsoever.”

Ryanair argued the decision could mean as many as 100,000 fewer travellers arriving in destinations such as Cork, Shannon, Knock and Kerry during the peak months of the tourism season.