Ryanair taking legal action against passengers who behave disruptively on flights in a major misconduct clampdown.
The Irish airline is claiming €15,000 (£12,500) in damages against a disruptive passenger after their “inexcusable behaviour” forced a flight to divert.
Flight FR7124 from Dublin to Lanzarote instead landed in Porto, Portugal on 9 April as a result of the passenger’s unruly conduct in the cabin.
According to Ryanair, 160 passengers were delayed overnight and missed a “full day of their holiday”.
In a statement released today (8 January), the airline said that it has a strict zero-tolerance policy towards misconduct and will “continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour on aircraft” for the benefit of other passengers.
Ryanair has filed legal proceedings in the Irish Circuit Court against the passenger to “recover the costs” of overnight accommodation, passenger expenses and landing fees.
A Ryanair 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 airline added: “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.”
It’s not the first time unruly passenger behaviour has caused chaos on a Ryanair flight.
In November, a Ryanair flight was forced to alert authorities ahead of landing in Tenerife after several passengers became disruptive on board, including one person reportedly “urinating” in the aisle.
The incident occurred on flight FR3152, which departed from East Midlands Airport on 4 November at 6.29am for the four-and-a-half hour flight to Tenerife South Airport.
Ryanair told The Independent: “The aircraft was met by local police upon arrival at Tenerife Airport and these passengers were removed.”
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