In an unusual move, the French civil aviation authority grounded a Ryanair Boeing 737 on Thursday at Bordeaux airport, the aircraft had been seized in a row subsidies paid to the budget carrier.
The dispute was caused by French subsidies paid to Ryanair for flights from Angoulême regional airport between 2008 and 2009, which the European Commission later deemed illegal. Officials at the regional airport confirmed the sum involved was €525,000 that's £457,000.
The French authorities had been in communication with the low-fare-high-fee airline and trying to recoup the regarding the €525,000from 2014 onwards. Ryanair had continued to ignore the request for payment, even after the Frech authorities sending a final legal warning during May.
The French officials say they were left with no choice and it had been the last resort left open to it, "It is unfortunate that the state had to take such action, which led to the inevitable inconvenience of the 149 passengers on board the immobilised plane." A spokesperson said.
Passengers were told there was a technical issue with the aircraft and were left with very little information from Ryanair, receiving two text messages, one saying that would get a food voucher and one saying the flight was delayed. The airline eventually sent over another aircraft to collect the passengers and take them to Stanstead some five hours late.
The aircraft has since been released by the authorities in France after Ryanair paid the full amount but have yet to make a public statement on the events.
(Photo AP)
