RYANAIR has warned passengers who misbehave on their flights that they will now face legal proceedings.
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.
The airline says 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.
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has been very vocal about misbehaving passengers, previously calling for a two-drink limit on flights.
He said recently: “Previously, people who drank too much would fall over or fall asleep.
“But now those passengers are also on tablets and powder. The mix creates a more aggressive behaviour.
“It becomes very difficult to manage.
“And it’s not directed just at the crew. Passengers fighting with each other is a growing trend on board our aircraft.
“We don’t want to stop people having a drink.
“But we don’t allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them in aircraft at 33,000 feet.”
