Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, is taking legal action against a disruptive passenger and seeking €15,000 ($15,400) in damages. The airline, based in Ireland, revealed on Wednesday that it has initiated legal proceedings after the passenger caused disturbances on a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote, Spain, in April of last year.
The airline stated that the passenger’s unacceptable behavior led to the flight being diverted to Porto, resulting in an overnight delay. This caused unnecessary disruption for the 160 passengers onboard.
Ryanair has filed a case in the Irish Circuit Court to recover the costs associated with a flight delay caused by a disruptive passenger. These costs include overnight accommodations, passenger expenses, and landing fees.
The airline has faced multiple incidents of disruptive behavior on its flights in recent years. In November, it was reported that a Ryanair flight heading to Tenerife, Spain, had to notify authorities after passengers became unruly, with one person even urinating in the aisle. In another case, a passenger who caused a disturbance on a Ryanair flight to Athens in 2020 was recently convicted in a Greek court, receiving a five-month suspended prison sentence and a €400 ($412) fine.
A Ryanair spokesperson emphasized the airline’s zero-tolerance policy, stating that such actions have serious consequences. While the airline declined to provide further details about the specific incident, it confirmed that this is the first time Ryanair has taken civil action against a passenger in Ireland, signaling a new approach to handling disruptive behavior. The airline plans to pursue more civil cases in the future as part of its effort to eliminate such incidents.