Low cost airline Ryanair is taking action against a passenger it says forced the pilot to divert the flight.
It has started legal proceedings against the passenger it claims disrupted a Dublin to Lanzarote flight which had to be diverted to Portugal.
Ryanair is seeking €15,000 in compensation to cover the cost of diverting the flight.
It filed the lawsuit in Dublin’s circuit court claiming ‘inexcusable and completely unacceptable’ behavior.
The damages it seeks are for overnight accommodation and related expenses given to passengers due to the diversion to Porto.
Ryanair said it will continue to take ‘decisive action’ against other unruly behavior.
The incident led to 160 passengers ‘facing unnecessary disruption and lost a full day of their holiday’.
“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,” a Ryanair spokesperson said.
