Ryanair imposes five-year travel ban on disruptive passenger

Ryanair has issued a five-year travel ban on a disruptive passenger who forced a flight to divert.

The airline confirmed that it has filed legal proceedings in the Polish courts claiming more than €3,000 in damages against a passenger who disrupted a Berlin to Marrakesh flight on January 9. 

Ryanair said: "This passenger’s inexcusable behaviour forced this flight to divert to Seville, where the aircraft landed, and the passenger was offloaded causing 170 passengers and six crew to face unnecessary disruption. 

“Ryanair has issued this disruptive passenger with a five-year travel ban and has reported him to the Guardia Civil.”

Europe’s largest airline insisted it had a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct “and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour on aircraft for the benefit of the vast majority of passengers who do not disrupt flights”.

A spokesperson said: “It is unacceptable that passengers are suffering unnecessary disruption as a result of one unruly passenger’s behaviour. Yet this was regrettably the case for passengers on this flight from Berlin to Marrakesh in January, which was forced to divert to Seville as a result of an individual passenger’s disruptive behaviour, causing €3,000 in damages. 

“We have now filed civil proceedings to recover these costs from this passenger.

“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.”