Panini duo fined for aircraft behaviour

The pilot of a Ryanair flight from Tenerife to Cork made contingency plans to divert to Portugal because of the aggression from a Cork man and woman who insisted on having their paninis heated by cabin staff.

Inspector Brian O’Donovan said the pilot, who had been flying for 14 years, had never before put such a contingency plan in place. However, he went on to land the plane in Cork where the man and woman were met by security personnel.

Judge Tim Lucey said: “Other people on the plane are more vulnerable than the staff or pilot. The passengers are very vulnerable. It is very frightening. Everyone is trapped 25,000 or 30,000ft in the air. It ruins people’s holidays to have to deal with that kind of stuff.