Airline‘s ‘major clampdown’ on unruly travellers, sues passenger for $25,000

An international airline has promised a “major clampdown” on disruptive passengers – going as far as suing them for tens of thousands of dollars.

The biggest airline in Europe is cracking down on unruly passengers, fed up with travellers disrupting flights.

Ryanair revealed on Wednesday it had decided to sue a passenger for about $25,000 after a flight from Dublin to the Spanish island Lanzarote was force to divert to Porto in Portugal, and be delayed overnight.

There were 160 passengers on board the disrupted flight back in April last year.

Ryanair said it had now filed legal proceedings in the Irish Circuit Court claiming the passenger’s disruptive behaviour caused “€15,000 in overnight accommodation, passenger expenses, and landing costs”. It wants to recover these costs from this passenger.

The action also came with a warning to others who plan to fly with the ultra low-cost carrier based in Ireland – describing this move as part of a “major misconduct clampdown”.

Ryanair has announced a ‘major misconduct clampdown’. Picture: Pau Barrena / AFP

“This demonstrates just one of the many consequences that passengers who disrupt flights will face as part of Ryanair’s zero tolerance policy, and we hope this action will deter further disruptive behaviour on flights so that passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment,” a Ryanair spokesperson said.

The statement added: “It is unacceptable that passengers – many of whom are heading away with family or friends to enjoy a relaxing Summer holiday – are suffering unnecessary disruption and reduced holiday time as a result of one unruly passenger’s behaviour.”

Details of the unnamed passenger’s behaviour were not provided.

In the EU, passengers are entitled to compensation for flights that are cancelled or delayed by three hours or more. This includes free hotel accommodation if necessary.

In August, outspoken Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary demanded airports limit passengers to two alcoholic drinks per boarding pass.

Mr O’Leary claimed drunken passengers were not just falling over or asleep like they once were but because “tablets and powder” were in the mix, leading to “much more aggressive behaviour” directed both at crew and other passengers.

He said attacks were happening weekly.

“Passengers fighting with each other is now a growing trend on board the aircraft,” he said.

Instances of wild behaviour on flights across the world have been highlighted by videos uploaded to social media, often going viral on platforms like TikTok.

This has provided some disruptive passengers unwanted fame.

In 2023, British man Piers Sawyer, 23, made global headlines after a steward was filmed catching him having sex in the toilet on an easyJet flight to Ibiza. Even his mum spoke publicly about the “embarrassing” moment.

Also that year, Tiffany Gomas gained sudden notoriety when she was dubbed “Crazy Plane Lady” for a meltdown over Airpods on an American Airlines flight. She was kicked off the plane.

The 40-year-old has given multiple interviews since and has garnered 162,000 Instagram followers.

Many other travellers, some never named publicly, have gone viral for public outbursts, brawls, exposing themselves or urinating on flights.

But the trouble is not just up in the air; popular tourist destinations across the world 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 in the Spanish city of Barcelona were even squirted with water pistols last July.