Bailiffs boarded a Ryanair plane after the airline refused to pay compensation to a passenger whose flight was delayed.
Austrian officials took action after the airline 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 London-bound plane while it was in the stands at Linz airport on Monday and stuck an embargo sticker on the cabin when the crew was unable to pay off the debt.
The label, known as the “cuckoo sticker,” gives the court legal control over the aircraft, which was allowed to continue operating under set conditions. The court can sell the Boeing 737 at public auction if the debt is not paid within the deadline.
The dispute began in 2024, when a flight from Linz to the Spanish island of Mallorca was delayed for 13 hours. A passenger who was forced to pay for an alternative flight claimed reimbursement of her expenses and compensation under aviation rules.
Ryanair did not pay and the passenger took her case to court, which ordered the airline to hand over the amount claimed plus interest and legal costs. When Ryanair did not respond, the passenger asked the Austrian authorities to take enforcement action.
A spokesman for Linz Airport said: “We were informed that there was a lawsuit pending against Ryanair in court and that the district court in the city of Traun had ordered a bailiff to carry out an official act. We accompanied the bailiff to the plane, where he carried out his official duties.”
The bailiff asked the crew to hand over the €890, but as Ryanair operates cashless flights, they were unable to comply. so the seizure notice was posted on the cabin wall. Then the flight left for London.
A lawyer representing the passenger told the media that she intended to continue enforcement actions until the debt was paid.
Ryanair denied the plane had been seized but declined to comment on whether bailiffs had served a seizure notice or whether the debt had already been paid.
Passenger rights groups have criticized low-cost airlines for failing to compensate travelers whose flights are canceled or delayed. According to European Commission regulations, they are entitled to 600 euros each if they are late for three hours or more.
The Guardian reported this week that Ryanair had denied compensation to a passenger whose plane had been diverted, claiming he arrived at his destination on a ghost flight. After being contacted by The Guardian, the airline refunded the cost of the flight and offered to pay for hotel and transport costs.
Disputes over unpaid compensation rarely end in the confiscation of an aircraft. Plaintiffs often give up or airlines pay before enforcement action is taken. However, French authorities seized a Ryanair plane carrying 149 passengers in 2018 after a years-long battle over illegal subsidies. Ryanair then paid the outstanding invoice of €525,000.
