Bailiffs boarded a Ryanair plane after a passenger claimed the airline refused to pay her compensation for a delayed flight.
Austrian authorities boarded the Ryanair flight at Linz airport that was bound for London on Monday, 9 March and fixed a seizure sticker to the cabin wall.
A spokesperson for Linz airport told The Independent: “We were informed that there was a pending claim against Ryanair in court and that a bailiff has been instructed by the district court of the city of Traun to carry out an official act.
“We accompanied the bailiff to the aircraft, where the bailiff carried out his official duties.”
The action was taken after the airline ignored a court order to pay an unnamed woman €890 (£742) in legal costs and compensation for a delayed flight two years ago, according to The Guardian.
The seizure notice, known as a “cuckoo sticker”, gives the court legal control over the Boeing 737, which is still allowed to continue to operate under certain conditions.
A spokesperson for the Higher Regional Court of Linz told The Independent: “The aircraft was seized by court order on March 9, 2026, but remained in Ryanair’s custody. To date, no payment from Ryanair has been received by the court.
“If no payment is made or the initiating party does not request a stay of execution, the aircraft will be appraised and subsequently sold.”
Ryanair added in a statement that the aircraft has not been “physically seized”.
“In fact, it departed Linz airport that morning (9 Mar) following a very brief delay and has continued to operate as normal ever since,” a spokesperson for the airline told The Independent.
“The District Court Traun does not have possession of the aircraft nor can they ‘sell it’. As we expect to receive the termination of enforcement proceedings shortly, the matter can be considered closed.”
The incident stems from a flight in 2024 from Linz to Mallorca that was delayed by 13 hours, forcing the passenger to pay for an alternative flight and then claim a refund of expenses and compensation under aviation regulations.
However, the passenger claimed Ryanair did not pay her and she took her case to court, ordering the airline to pay the passenger claimed sums plus interest and legal costs.
According to The Guardian, when Ryanair failed to respond, Austrian authorities took action at Linz airport.
It is reported that the bailiff asked the crew to hand over €890, but Ryanair operates as a cashless airline, so the seizure notice was issued.
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