The largest airline in Europe is cracking down on unruly passengers, fed up with travelers disrupting flights.
Ryanair revealed on Wednesday it had decided to sue a passenger for just over $15,000 after a flight from Dublin to the Spanish island of Lanzarote was forced to divert to Porto, Portugal and be delayed overnight.
There have been 160 passengers on board the disrupted flight back in April last 12 months.
Ryanair said it had now filed legal proceedings within the Irish Circuit Court claiming the passenger’s disruptive behavior caused over $15,000 “in overnight accommodation, passenger expenses and landing costs.”
The corporate desires to recuperate these costs from the passenger.
The motion also got here with a warning to others who plan to fly with the ultra-low-cost carrier based out of Ireland – describing this move as a part of a “major misconduct clampdown.”
“It’s unacceptable that passengers – a lot of whom are heading away with family or friends to enjoy a calming Summer holiday – are suffering unnecessary disruption and reduced holiday time consequently of 1 unruly passenger’s behavior,” a statement from Ryanair claimed.
Details of the unnamed passenger’s behavior weren’t provided.
“This demonstrates just one in every of the numerous consequences that passengers who disrupt flights will face as a part of Ryanair’s zero-tolerance policy and we hope this motion will deter further disruptive behavior on flights in order that passengers and crew can travel in a snug and respectful environment,” the statement continued.
Within the EU, passengers are entitled to compensation for flights which are canceled or delayed by three hours or more.
This includes free hotel accommodation, if crucial.
In August, outspoken Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary demanded airports limit passengers to 2 alcoholic drinks per boarding pass.
O’Leary claimed drunken passengers were not only falling over or asleep like they once were but because “tablets and powder” were in the combination, resulting in “rather more aggressive behavior” directed each on the crew and other passengers.
The CEO claimed attacks were happening weekly.
“Passengers fighting with one another is now a growing trend on board the aircraft,” O’Leary said.
Instances of untamed behavior on flights internationally have been highlighted by videos uploaded to social media, often going viral on platforms like TikTok.
This has provided some disruptive passengers with unwanted fame.
In 2023, British man Piers Sawyer, 23, made global headlines after a steward was filmed catching him having sex in the bathroom on an easyJet flight to Ibiza.
Even his mom spoke publicly concerning the “embarrassing” moment.
Also that 12 months, Tiffany Gomas gained sudden notoriety when she was dubbed “Crazy Plane Lady” for a meltdown on an American Airlines flight.
Gomas was kicked off the plane.
The 40-year-old has given multiple interviews since and has garnered 162,000 Instagram followers.
Many other travelers, some never named publicly, have gone viral for public outbursts, brawls, exposing themselves or urinating on flights.
But the difficulty will not be just up within the air; popular tourist destinations internationally are also cracking down on disruptive tourists.
Viral videos of foreigners taking a dip in front of the San Michele Cemetery in Venice and climbing a statue to perform lewd poses in Florence aren’t helping ease growing tension between locals and tourists in some hotspots.
Visitors dining within the Spanish city of Barcelona were even squirted with water pistols last July.
