Ryanair has announced they are taking legal action against a passenger, who was removed from a flight from Lanzarote to Santiago de Compostela on January 17th, who falsely claimed to be a diplomat causing a disturbance that delayed the flight.
According to Ryanair's statement, the passenger sat in the wrong seat and refused to move when requested by the crew. The situation escalated as he became "verbally aggressive," claiming to be a "UN diplomat" with "diplomatic immunity" and could sit wherever he wanted.
The police removed the passenger from the plane at the captain's request, after a 40-minute delay, affecting 137 passengers who experienced an "unnecessary inconvenience." Ryanair say they are taking action as they have a "strict zero-tolerance policy toward passenger misconduct."
"It is unacceptable for passengers, many of whom are on holiday with their families, to experience unnecessary delays due to the behaviour of an unruly passenger. Unfortunately, this was the case on the Lanzarote to Santiago flight in January," the airline stated.
They also warned that the legal action could result in a prison sentence for the passenger of three to twelve months, along with a hefty fine.
"We hope this example will deter harmful behaviour on Ryanair flights, ensuring both passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment, as is their right," they added.
