Ryanair has announced that from today, Thursday 12th June, they will start fining disruptive passengers €500 if they are removed from a flight due to bad behaviour.
It is intended to ensure a "comfortable and stress-free environment" for both passengers and crew onboard their planes.
The €500 penalty will serve as a minimum charge, as Ryanair also warned that they intend to pursue offenders in court to seek further compensation where possible.
The move follows several recent incidents, including one in January when a passenger was removed from a Lanzarote to Santiago de Compostela flight after claiming to be a diplomat in an attempt to avoid moving seats. Ryanair said the man occupied the wrong seat, refused to move when asked by the crew, and became verbally aggressive, insisting he was a "UN diplomat" with "immunity."
The incident delayed take-off and led to Ryanair taking legal action. The passenger now potentially faces a prison sentence of between three and twelve months, as well as a fine.
