A bailiff boarded a Ryanair flight due to an outstanding debt owed by a passenger

This is definitely one of the strangest situations at European airports in recent years. The incident took place at Linz Airport in Austria. Whilst Ryanair Boeing FR 1694 was preparing for take-off from Linz to London Stansted, a bailiff boarded the aircraft. The man affixed a court document to the cabin concerning a debt of exactly €892.87 owed by the Irish airline to a passenger. What exactly was the matter? In July 2024, one of the passengers on a Ryanair flight to Majorca experienced a delay of as much as 13 hours. As the airline failed to offer a satisfactory alternative flight, the woman decided to book an alternative flight herself and claim compensation and a refund for the cost of the new ticket. Ryanair refunded the money, but only up to the amount equivalent to the original price of the delayed flight.

The passenger was dissatisfied with the outcome and took the matter to an Austrian court. The verdict? An order for payment covering the woman’s claims and legal costs amounting to €892.87. The final judgement did not compel Ryanair to pay the awarded claim, which directly led to the intervention in question. The flight was delayed by over an hour and only took off once a court order had been affixed to the inside of the aircraft, setting out the grounds for its potential seizure by a bailiff. The law firm representing the passenger has already confirmed that Ryanair has settled its debt.

Source: The Guardian