Bailiffs boarded a Ryanair aircraft at Linz airport in Austria claiming the airline had refused to pay €890 compensation to an unnamed passenger under European Union rules. The claim is disputed by Ryanair.
The Austrian court bailiff boarded a Ryanair B737 at Linz Airport to enforce a legal seizure of the aircraft over the unpaid debt follwing a multi-year legal battle where they claimed Ryanair failed to comply with a court order to compensate a passenger for a 13-hour flight delay in 2024.
Accompanied by airport staff, the bailiff from the District Court of Traun boarded the aircraft before its scheduled departure to London. The official requested the €890 in cash on the spot. Because Ryanair is a cashless airline and the crew could not provide the funds, the bailiff proceeded with a legal seizure.
A formal seizure notice, known locally as a “cuckoo sticker” (Pfändungsmarke), was affixed to the interior cabin wall. This gave the court legal control over the jet while leaving it in Ryanair’s physical custody. Despite the legal seizure, the aircraft was permitted to continue its flight to London. Ryanair stated that the plane was not “physically seized” and only experienced a brief delay.
The standoff ended when Ryanair paid the full debt via a Vienna law firm. Had the debt remained unpaid, the court had the authority to appraise and auction the aircraft, which is valued at approximately €150m.
The incident is the latest in a series of disputes between low cost carriers and passengers over delayed or cancelled flights. Ryanair maintains its position that compensation claims are paid expediently while consumer groups call for stricter enforcement of passenger rights.
