Ryanair : Irish August travel numbers rise, but still below pre-pandemic levels

DUBLIN (Reuters) - The number of people arriving and leaving Ireland roughly doubled between July and August as the country relaxed some of Europe's toughest travel restrictions, but numbers were just one-third of pre-pandemic levels, data showed on Thursday.

Ireland has been repeatedly criticised by its largest airlines, Ryanair and Aer Lingus, for maintaining some of the strictest travel restrictions in the European Union over the course of the pandemic.

Since late July it has allowed quarantine-free travel from people from the European Union with COVID-19 vaccine certificates and is allowing free travel with neighbouring Britain.

The number of arrivals increased by 116% between July and August but were 64% lower than in the same month of 2019, data from the central statistics office showed.

The number of departures increased by 82% between July and August but were 64% lower than in the same month of 2019

(Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Edmund Blair)