A French court has fined two disruptive passengers a combined total exceeding €10,000 after they forced a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Ibiza to divert to Toulouse last year.
The Toulouse Criminal Court also handed both passengers a ten-month suspended prison sentence. Ryanair confirmed the ruling in a statement, saying it welcomed the outcome.
The incident took place on 17 May 2025. The two passengers behaved abusively toward other travellers and repeatedly disobeyed instructions from six crew members on board.
Their behaviour forced the aircraft, carrying 184 passengers, to abort its route to Ibiza Airport and land instead at Toulouse Airport.
A Ryanair spokesperson said the disruption was unacceptable, particularly for passengers travelling with family or friends for their summer holidays.
“It is unacceptable that passengers, many of whom are traveling with family or friends to enjoy their summer holidays, suffer unnecessary disruptions and a reduction in their rest time as a result of the behavior of disruptive passengers,” the spokesperson said.
The airline described the conviction as one example of the consequences disruptive passengers face under its zero-tolerance policy.
“We hope this measure will deter future disruptive behavior on board, so that passengers and crew can travel in a comfortable and respectful environment,” the spokesperson added.
Photo Credit: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com
