Judicial bailiffs boarded a Ryanair aircraft after the airline refused to pay compensation to a passenger whose flight was delayed, and placed a seizure notice on the plane in case the amount owed was not paid.
Austrian officials took action after a low-cost airline ignored a court order to pay a woman €890 (£742) in court costs and compensation for a delayed flight in 2024.
A bailiff boarded the plane, which was headed for London, while it was parked at the airport in Leeds, and attached a seizure tag to the cabin when the crew was unable to pay the debt.
The label, known as a “cuckoo sticker,” gives the court legal authority over the aircraft, which was able to continue operating under certain conditions. The court may sell the Boeing 737 at a public auction if the debt is not paid within the specified timeframe.
The dispute began in 2024 when a flight from Leeds to Mallorca was delayed for 13 hours and a passenger who was forced to pay for an alternative flight requested a refund of the expenses incurred and compensation under aviation regulations.
Ryanair did not pay the debt, and the passenger went to court, which ordered the airline to pay the woman the amount owed plus interest and court costs. As Ryanair did not comply, the passenger asked the Austrian authorities to take enforcement action.
A representative of the airport in Linz said: “We were informed that a lawsuit against Ryanair was pending in court and that a bailiff has been ordered by the regional court in Traun to perform an official act. We escorted the bailiff to the aircraft, where he performed his duties.”
The bailiff asked the crew to hand over the €890, but the crew was unable to comply, as they do not handle money on behalf of the airline. So, the seizure notice was placed in the aircraft cabin. The flight then departed for London.
A lawyer acting on behalf of the passenger told the media that he intended to continue the legal proceedings on behalf of his client until the debt was paid off.
Differences over unpaid compensation rarely lead to the seizure of an aircraft. Plaintiffs usually drop the case or airlines pay before law enforcement action is taken. However, French authorities seized a Ryanair plane carrying 149 passengers in 2018 after a long dispute over illegal subsidies. Ryanair then paid the outstanding amount of €525,000.
