Walter Finch
A PASSENGER who claimed to be a ‘UN diplomat with diplomatic immunity’ is facing criminal prosecution after causing chaos on a Ryanair flight from Lanzarote to Santiago in January.
The disruption occurred when the man allegedly attempted to take a seat that wasn’t assigned to him.
He then became verbally abusive when crew members asked to see his boarding card.
The incident resulted in a 40-minute departure delay, affecting 137 passengers before the individual was eventually removed from the flight by the Guardia Civil.
Ryanair has now initiated a private criminal prosecution through the Spanish courts against the passenger following the incident, as part of the airline’s zero-tolerance policy toward disruptive behavior.
A Ryanair spokesperson said: “It is unacceptable that passengers, many of whom are on a family holiday, are suffering unnecessary delay as a result of one unruly passenger’s behaviour.
“Yet this was regrettably the case for passengers on this flight from Lanzarote to Santiago in January, during which a disruptive passenger caused a departure delay due to his misconduct.”
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If convicted, the disruptive passenger could face serious consequences, including ‘a sentence of 3-12 months imprisonment or a fine of 6-18 months’ salary,’ according to the airline.
“We hope this example will deter further disruptive behaviour on Ryanair flights, so that passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment as is their right,” the spokesperson added.
This case represents the latest in Ryanair’s campaign of pursuing legal action against passengers who cause disruptions to flights, which the airline has described as ‘inexcusable behaviour.’
In January, it launched a €15,000 compensation bid against a passenger whom Ryanair accused of disrupting a flight in April 2024.
The company had to put up 160 passengers overnight after a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote was diverted to Portugal.
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Meanwhile a British ‘groom to be’ had to be escorted off a Ryanair flight landing in Alicante-Elche by Guardia Civil officers last weekend after he reportedly vaped throughout the entire journey.
Another passenger posted online: “This man was vaping for the whole of the flight, he had a warning from the pilot and then when we landed the police arrived.”
“Everything was kicking off. Apparently the man was getting married in Spain, imagine that being the man you’re marrying, how embarrassing, all for a pineapple vape on a two hour flight.”
“What made it worse was that he kept calling everyone señor, I’m so embarrassed to be British right now,” she concluded.
