Ryanair announced the suspension of its full flight schedule to and from Italy as well as within Italy, following the decision of the Italian government to “lock down” the entire country to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Ryanair will suspend all Italian international flights from Friday 13 March to Wednesday 8 April, the company said in a statement. Domestic flights will be suspended from March 11.

All affected passengers have received email notices today informing them of these flight cancellations. Passengers looking for repatriation can obtain a free move to an earlier Ryanair flight operating up until midnight Fri 13Mar.

Affected passengers will be able to choose between a full refund or a travel credit that can be redeemed on Ryanair flights in the next 12 months.