Ryanair provides breakdown of €15k in damages it is seeking from 'disruptive' passenger

Last Wednesday, October 8, the airline confirmed it had taken the case as a result of an incident on Flight FR7124 from Dublin to Lanzarote on Tuesday, April 9, 2024. File Picture: RollingNews.ie

Ryanair has given a breakdown of the more than €15,000 it is seeking in damages against a passenger who allegedly disrupted a flight and caused it to be diverted.

Last Wednesday the airline confirmed it had taken the case as a result of an incident on Flight FR7124 from Dublin to Lanzarote on April 9, 2024.

As a result of one passenger's alleged "inexcusable behaviour" on board, the airline says the flight was diverted to Porto, where, due to crew hours restrictions, the aircraft, its crew, and its more than 160 passengers were forced to stay overnight.

The airline says it had to provide an additional aircraft and crew to operate the delayed return flight from Lanzarote to Dublin, which took place the following day, April 10, 2024.

On Monday, Ryanair provided a breakdown of the €15,000 in damages it is claiming against the passenger who allegedly caused the disruption.

The airline says excess fuel cost €800, overnight accommodation for all passengers and crew in Porto cost €7,000, additional landing and handling fees in Porto cost €2,500, replacement crew costs amounted to €1,800, loss of inflight sales cost €750, and the airline's legal fees in Portugal arising from the diversion have so far cost €2,500.

A spokesperson for the airline told the Irish Examiner that "none of these costs would have been incurred if this disruptive passenger had not forced a diversion to Porto in order to protect the safety of the aircraft, 160 passengers and six crew members on board".

Governments' 'inaction'

The airline accused European governments of repeatedly failing to "take action when disruptive passengers threaten aircraft safety and force them to divert". 

The spokesperson said that, in the case of Flight FR7124, the Portuguese prosecution ruled that because the aircraft and the passenger involved are Irish, the case should be transferred here.

"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 members and the operating aircraft."

The spokesperson also said it is time that EU authorities "take action to limit the sale of alcohol at airports". 

"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 are consuming 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," the spokesperson added.