Ryanair says will fine 'disruptive passengers' 500 euros

Europe's biggest airline by passenger numbers has previously hit out at "unruly" behaviour caused by travellers consuming excessive amounts of alcohol while waiting to board delayed flights.

"Ryanair is committed to tackling unruly passenger behaviour for the benefit of its passengers and crew, and will continue to pursue disruptive passengers for civil damages, but at a minimum, they will now be issued with a 500-euro fine," Ryanair said in a statement Thursday.

A spokesperson added that the penalty "will be issued to any passengers offloaded from aircraft as a result of their misconduct".

Ryanair in January said that it had incurred costs of 15,350 euros as a result of a "disruptive passenger" on board a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote, in Spain's Canary Islands, last year.

This was because the plane had to divert to the Portuguese city of Porto, where the passenger was arrested, and the more than 160 other travellers on board were provided with overnight accommodation and meals.

Ryanair said it faced other costs, including the need for additional fuel and crew. The airline filed civil legal proceedings against the passenger in Ireland to recover its outlay.

At the same time, it called on the European Union to limit the sale of alcohol at airports.

Ryanair transported more than 200 million passengers in its last financial year to the end of March.

It forecasts that the number will rise to 300 million by 2034.