Ryanair enforces zero-tolerance as passengers convicted
After more than four years since those unfortunate events, a verdict has finally been passed. Ryanair welcomed the decision of the court in Athens to convict the passenger who had disrupted a journey.
The story of a troublesome passenger who travelled with Ryanair to Athens should serve as a warning to anyone who behaves improperly at airports or on airplanes.
Troublesome passenger convicted
The man who travelled to the capital of Greece in July 2020 disrupted the journey and did not follow the crew's instructions. As a result, the airline took legal action against him. Although more than four years have passed since then, it wasn't until Wednesday, December 18 of this year, that the court ruled.
The passenger received a suspended five-month prison sentence and a fine of 400 euros (over 2,400 CAD). Ryanair is pleased with the verdict and emphasizes that it adheres to a strict zero-tolerance policy for inappropriate passenger behaviour.
According to the Irish airline, firm actions against troublesome passengers benefit the rest of the travellers who do not disrupt the flight.
- The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is Ryanair’s No.1 priority and we operate a strict zero tolerance policy to try to eradicate unruly behaviour onboard our aircraft. Ryanair welcomes this decision by Athens court, which demonstrates that the tiny number of passengers that disrupt flights will face consequences for their unruly behaviour - admitted a Ryanair representative, quoted in a press release.
Disgraceful situations
Although some reports of passenger behaviour seem unbelievable, they occur in reality. For example, in November of this year, one passenger travelling from the United Kingdom to the Canary Islands behaved loudly and aggressively, significantly disrupting the flight. However, that was not the worst. After some time, one passenger did not go to the airplane's toilet as he should have but urinated in the cabin. Upon arrival in Tenerife, the plane was greeted by local police, who immediately dealt with the disruptive passengers.
A surprising situation occurred recently when I was onboard a Jet2 flight from Antalya in Turkey to Leeds in England. The flight turned into a nightmare when two passengers fought on board. Despite attempts by the crew and other travellers to intervene, the aggressor continued his attacks, hitting with his head and trying to bite the opponent. The plane had to make an emergency landing, and the man was immediately handed over to local authorities.
Stories describing such situations seem to be endless.
