Ryanair is suing a passenger it claims disrupted a flight between Dublin and Lanzarote, seeking €15,000 (£12,500) in damages to cover expenses incurred when the plane was diverted to Portugal.
The airline said on Wednesday it had filed proceedings in Dublin’s circuit court against the passenger, whose behaviour on the flight last April it described as “inexcusable” and “completely unacceptable.”
The damages would cover the cost of overnight accommodation and other expenses it had to pay for people onboard the flight after the aircraft was diverted to Porto.
Ryanair said it would “continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour on aircraft”.
The airline said the passenger’s behaviour forced the flight in question 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”.
Announcing what the airline described as a “major clampdown”, a spokesperson 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 spokesperson said Ryanair hoped the civil proceedings in the Irish court would deter further disruptive behaviour on flights. The passenger has not been named.
Under EU laws, passengers are entitled to compensation for flights within the EU that are cancelled or delayed by three hours or more. Hotel accommodation must be offered free of charge if an overnight stay becomes necessary, as well as transport between the hotel and the airport along with a free meal and refreshments.
In June, US federal regulators pursued a Texan woman for $82,000 after she allegedly acted erratically and was violent toward crew members during an American Airlines flight in 2021.
