A Maltese court has fined a passenger flying from Cologne (Germany) to Malta on March 22nd, 2,000 euros for smoking on a Ryanair plane and refusing to follow crew instructions, reports Europa Press.
Ryanair has welcomed the ruling as the company is firmly committed to ensuring both passengers and crew travel safely and respectfully, without disruptions caused by "undisciplined" passengers.
Therefore, it has long been implementing a strict "zero tolerance" policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take measures to prevent such behaviors.
The company has stated that it is "unacceptable" for passengers to endure unnecessary disruptions due to the behavior of a disruptive passenger.
Hence, it believes that the court's decision reinforces its commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for both crew and passengers on all Ryanair flights.
Among other measures the company can take to prevent such incidents are travel bans, support for investigations by local police authorities, and claims for civil damages.
A few weeks ago, the airline also announced the initiation of criminal action against a passenger who was removed from a plane by the Civil Guard after claiming to be a UN diplomat to occupy an unassigned seat on a flight between Lanzarote and Santiago de Compostela on January 17th, delaying the flight by 40 minutes.
The airline explained that the passenger was "verbally aggressive" when the crew asked to see his boarding pass. With this action, the passenger could face a penalty of between three and 12 months in prison or a fine of between six and 18 months.