Courts

Ryanair apologises ‘unreservedly’ for incorrectly identifying quantity surveyor as disruptive passenger

Airline wrote to employer telling it of ban for behaviour on flight he wasn’t on

Ryanair has 'sincerely and unreservedly apologised' before the High Court to a quantity surveyor whom it accepts was incorrectly banned from flying with it. Photograph: Nicholas T Ansell/PA

Aodhan O'Faolain
Tue Feb 6 2024 - 16:06

Ryanair has “sincerely and unreservedly apologised” before the High Court to a quantity surveyor it accepts was incorrectly banned from flying with it.

Eoin Michael Cahill sued the airline alleging he was defamed and wrongly accused of engaging in disruptive behaviour on a date last month when he did not fly with Ryanair or attend at Dublin Airport.

He also claimed that he was defamed by Ryanair when it wrote to his employer informing it of the ban.

On Tuesday Ryanair told the court it wished to apologise to Mr Cahill. It said the flight ban was “incorrectly imposed” on him and “has been withdrawn”.

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The airline said Mr Cahill was “mistakenly identified” as a disruptive passenger alleged to have been involved in an altercation with the airline’s staff last January 2nd. This required the assistance of airport police.

The airline, represented by Martin Hayden SC, said it accepts Mr Cahill was not this passenger. It has offered to make amends to him and to correct the record with his employer via a letter stating its original communication was inaccurate and all of the allegations are “fully withdrawn”.

It has also offered to pay Mr Cahill €10,000 compensation plus his legal costs as may be agreed.

In his action, Mr Cahill said he is employed by the Jones Engineering Group and takes regular flights between Ireland and Denmark for a project in Copenhagen.

He was due to fly with Ryanair from Dublin to Copenhagen on January 2nd but, after extending his leave, he did not travel on that date.

He claims he was defamed the following day in an email sent to his employer by Ryanair’s customer services.

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The email, he alleges, contained a false and untenable allegation that he was “disruptive” on his journey through Dublin Airport and that he was prohibited from flying with Ryanair again.

He claimed that what had happened to him would have disastrous implications on his professional reputation, especially as has to travel to Denmark as part of his job.

Represented by Paul O’Higgins SC, instructed by solicitor CW Ashe and Company, Mr Cahill brought proceedings seeking an injunction requiring Ryanair to correct the record with his employer and to lift the travel ban placed on him.

In his proceedings against both Ryanair DAC and Ryanair Holdings plc Mr Cahill, with an address at Carrigban, Killarney Road, Macroom, Co Cork, also seeks damages for alleged defamation.

In correspondence with Mr Cahill the airline also said that it had asked for time to complete an investigation into the allegations before he moved to seek an injunction late last month against Ryanair.

It claimed that Mr Cahill had not given the airline enough time to fully investigate the matter, and disputed the plaintiff’s claims that the matter was urgent.

While it accepted Mr Cahill’s annoyance and upset, the airline said it takes the issue of disruptive passengers very seriously given the impact such incidents have on passengers and staff,

Mr Cahill’s lawyers rejected Ryanair’s arguments and said the airline had ample time to address his complaints but failed to do so.

Mr Justice Mulcahy agreed the airline had known about Mr Cahill’s complaint for some time before it completed its investigation and said the plaintiff was entitled to his legal costs relating to the injunction proceedings against the defendants.

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