Ryanair cancels UK/Denmark flights over British crew quarantine policy

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ryanair on Monday cancelled all flights between Denmark and the United Kingdom after Britain ordered that its flight crews on those routes must quarantine for 14 days due to widespread coronavirus outbreaks at Danish mink farms.

Europe's largest low-cost airline appealed what it described as a "baseless" decision, arguing that UK crew members never leave the aircraft during the 25-minute turnaround at Copenhagen airport, but said it was told the policy would not be changed.

Britain removed Denmark from its travel corridor list on Friday, with people arriving from the Scandinavian country needing to self-isolate for 14 days.

"We have no choice but to cancel all (UK) flights to/from Denmark with immediate effect until this bizarre and baseless 14-day aircraft quarantine is removed," the Irish airline said in a statement.

Denmark announced strict new lockdown rules on Thursday in the north of the country after authorities discovered a mutated coronavirus strain in minks bred in the region, prompting a nationwide cull.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin, editing by Louise Heavens)