A “disruptive” traveler could face a $15,000 penalty after being sued by a major international airline for their unruly in-flight etiquette.
Ryanair, Europe’s largest air carrier, announced on Jan. 8 that it’s pursuing legal action against a passenger who caused a significant disruption on a route from Dublin to the Spanish island of Lanzarote. The flight was forced to make an emergency landing in Porto, Portugal due to the passenger’s alleged tirade; the other 160 passengers were delayed overnight until another plane could take them to Spain the next morning. The passenger’s name has not been publicly released; nor have any details of the actions which led to the charges.
In the lawsuit, filed in Ireland’s Circuit Court, Ryanair claimed that the passenger’s alleged outburst cost the airline an estimated $15,000 “in overnight accommodation, passenger expenses, and landing costs.” Ryanair intended to send a message in filing the suit, which the airline called another step in its “major [passenger] misconduct clampdown.” Back in August, Ryanair limited its passengers to two alcoholic beverages per boarding pass to crack down on erratic conduct.
“It is unacceptable that passengers—many of whom are heading away with family or friends to enjoy a relaxing holiday—are suffering unnecessary disruption and reduced holiday time as a result of one unruly passenger’s behavior,” the airline said in its statement. “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 behavior on flights so that passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment.”
