Bailiffs have boarded a Ryanair aircraft after the airline refused to pay compensation to a passenger whose flight was delayed.
Austrian officials took action after the budget carrier ignored a court order to pay the unnamed woman €890 (£742) in legal costs and compensation for a delayed flight two years ago.
A bailiff entered the plane, which was bound for London, as it sat on the stand at Linz airport on Monday and fixed a seizure sticker to the cabin when crew were unable to settle the debt.
The label, known as a “cuckoo sticker”, gives the court legal control over the aircraft, which was allowed to continue to operate under set conditions. The court can sell the Boeing 737 at public auction if the debt is not paid by a deadline.
The dispute began in 2024 when a flight from Linz to the Spanish island of Mallorca was delayed by 13 hours. A passenger who was forced to pay for an alternative flight claimed a refund of her expenses and compensation under aviation regulations.
Ryanair failed to pay up and the passenger took her case to a court, which ordered the airline to hand over the claimed sum plus interest and legal costs. When Ryanair failed to respond, the passenger asked Austrian authorities to take enforcement action.
A spokesperson for Linz airport said: “We were informed that there was a pending claim against Ryanair in court and that a bailiff has been instructed by the district court of the city of Traun to carry out an official act. We accompanied the bailiff to the aircraft, where the bailiff carried out his official duties.”
The bailiff asked the crew to hand over the €890, but since Ryanair operates cashless flights they were unable to comply. so the seizure notice was placed on the cabin wall. The flight then departed for London.
A lawyer acting on behalf of the passenger told media that she intended to continue enforcement action until the debt was paid.
Ryanair denied the aircraft had been seized but refused to comment on whether bailiffs had applied a seizure notice or whether the debt had since been paid.
Passengers rights groups have criticised low-cost airlines for failing to compensate travellers whose flights are cancelled or delayed. Under European Commission regulations, they are entitled to €600 each if they are delayed by three hours or more.
The Guardian reported this week that Ryanair had refused compensation to a passenger whose plane had been diverted, claiming he reached his destination on a phantom flight. After the Guardian got in touch, the airline refunded the cost of the flight and offered to pay hotel and transport costs.
Disputes over unpaid compensation rarely result in the seizure of an aircraft. Claimants usually give up or airlines pay out before enforcement action is taken. French authorities, however, impounded a Ryanair plane carrying 149 passengers in 2018 after a years-long battle over illegal subsidies. Ryanair then paid the outstanding €525,000 bill.
