In an unprecedented legal move, Ryanair is currently suing one of its passengers for €15.000 in Dublin’s Circuit Court after his disruptive behaviour caused a flight diversion and an overnight delay on a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote.
The incident occurred on 9 April 2023, during a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote. The passenger’s behaviour led to an unscheduled diversion to Porto, Portugal. This diversion resulted in an overnight delay, forcing Ryanair to accommodate 160 passengers in hotels and cover additional expenses.
Ryanair is requesting 7,000€ for hotel expenses for the 160 passengers and crew, 2,500€ for landing and handling fees at the Portuguese airport, and 1,800€ towards the cost of replacing crew members due to restrictions on flying hours. Furthermore, Ryanair is asking passengers to cover €800 for excess fuel costs, 750€ in loss of inflight sales, and 2,500€ towards Portuguese legal fees.
“None of these costs could have been incurred if this disruptive passenger had not forced a diversion to Porto”, Ryanair stated. “Ryanair is therefore taking a civil proceeding against this passenger in the Irish courts to recover these costs, which were incurred wholly and exclusively as a result of the disruptive passenger’s behaviour, which caused not just a diversion, but an overnight in Porto of over 160 passengers and six crew member and the operating aircraft.”
Ryanair states that in-flight crew can refuse alcohol service to passengers. In fact, disruptive behaviour is frequently triggered by individuals who drink excessively before boarding. These passengers may appear fine initially but soon become increasingly intoxicated and unruly during the flight.
“Airlines like Ryanair already restrict and limit the sale of alcohol on board our aircraft, particularly in disruptive passenger cases. However, during flight delays, passengers consume excess alcohol at airports without any limit on purchase or consumption. We fail to understand why passengers at airports are not limited to two alcoholic drinks (using their boarding pass in exactly the same way they limit duty-free sales), as this would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe. It is time that EU authorities take action to limit the sale of alcohol at airports”, the airline said in a statement on Monday.
Last August, Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, spoke about the potential introduction of a two-drink rule on flights. He cited an alarming increase in disorderly behaviour among passengers, prompting the airline to consider stricter measures to ensure a safer travel environment.
