RYANAIR will now file legal proceedings against disruptive passengers, the airline has confirmed.
The company is claiming €15,000 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 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 some passengers were “suffering unnecessary disruption and reduced holiday time as a result of one unruly passenger’s behaviour”
The airline 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.
“Yet this was regrettably the case for passengers on this flight from Dublin to Lanzarote last April, which was forced to divert to Porto as a result of an individual passenger’s disruptive behaviour, causing €15,000 in overnight accommodation, passenger expenses, and landing costs.
“We have now filed civil proceedings to recover these costs from this passenger.
“This demonstrates just one of the many consequences that passengers who disrupt flights will face as part of Ryanair’s zero tolerance policy, and we hope this action will deter further disruptive behaviour on flights so that passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment.”
The airline added that it is “committed to ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a safe and respectful environment, without unnecessary disruption caused by a tiny number of unruly passengers”.
