Ryanair welcomes €15,000 court award against disruptive passenger on flight from Dublin to Lanzarote

Ryanair has welcomed a ruling from the Dublin Circuit Court which saw a Co. Dublin man ordered to pay €15,000 in damages after his behaviour forced a flight bound for Lanzarote to make an unscheduled landing in Portugal.

The flight, which departed from Dublin and was heading to Lanzarote, was diverted to Porto following an incident in which the passenger assaulted both fellow travellers and crew members onboard. The disruption affected more than 160 passengers and six crew, who were subjected to the unscheduled landing as a direct result of the man’s conduct.

The airline, which operates numerous services to and from the Canary Islands, reiterated its strict zero tolerance stance regarding unruly behaviour. In a statement, the carrier emphasised its commitment to ensuring the vast majority of passengers, who travel without incident, can enjoy their journey in a safe and comfortable environment.

A Ryanair spokesperson said: “We welcome the Dublin Circuit Court’s judgement awarding €15,000 in damages against a Dublin man following the diversion of a Lanzarote flight from Dublin to Porto which was diverted due to his disruptive behaviour. This judgment reinforces the serious consequences faced by passengers who engage in disruptive behaviour which includes travel bans and offload fines, under Ryanair’s zero tolerance policy. We hope this ruling will further deter disruptive behaviour on flights so that both passengers and crew can travel without having to deal with this reprehensible behaviour.”