Ryanair flights: Budget airline to take disruptive passengers to court in 'major clampdown' on 'unacceptable' behaviour

The company is claiming 15,000 euro (£12,500) in damages against a passenger on a flight between Dublin and Lanzarote last year, claiming the customer disrupted the flight. Ryanair contends the passenger’s behaviour forced the flight to divert to Porto, where it was delayed overnight and caused 160 passengers to “face unnecessary disruption as well as losing a full day of their holiday”.

The airline has described the passenger’s behaviour as “inexcusable” and “completely unacceptable”. It said the 15,000 euro figure comes from the cost of overnight accommodation, passenger expenses, and landing costs.

Ryanair said it has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct, adding it “will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour on aircraft”. Announcing what the airline described as a “major clampdown”, a spokesman said: “It is unacceptable that passengers – many of whom are heading away with family or friends to enjoy a relaxing summer holiday – are suffering unnecessary disruption and reduced holiday time as a result of one unruly passenger’s behaviour.”

The spokesman said Ryanair hopes the civil proceedings in the Irish circuit court will deter further disruptive behaviour on flights. In September a British man and his wife were hauled off a Ryanair flight after “hitting crew” and “spitting at passengers”.

The incident caused the flight from Manchester Airport to Ibiza to diver to Toulouse in France on on Sunday (8 September) at 5:30pm. A witness who saw it all happen said the man had been “swigging duty free vodka” for about an hour.

At the time a Ryanair spokesperson said: “This flight from Manchester to Ibiza diverted to Toulouse after a small group of passengers became disruptive inflight. The crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Toulouse and offloaded two passengers before this flight continued to Ibiza.

“We sincerely apologise to passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of these unruly passengers’ behaviour, which was beyond Ryanair’s control. This is now a matter for local police.”