French authorities have seized a Ryanair plane and forced 149 passengers to disembark because of a dispute over subsidies to the Irish airline.
By Associated Press Reporters
November 9 2018 1:46 PM
French authorities have seized a Ryanair plane and forced 149 passengers to disembark because of a dispute over subsidies to the Irish airline.
The French civil aviation authority said it had impounded the plane on the tarmac of Bordeaux-Merignac airport on Thursday as a “last resort”.
Ryanair did not publicly comment on the seizure.
In a statement, the aviation authority said France had repeatedly tried to get Ryanair to pay back regional funds handed to the airline in 2008-2009.
The European Commission later ruled those funds illegal, saying they gave Ryanair an unfair economic advantage.
The aviation authority called it “regrettable that the state was forced” to evacuate the plane. It said the passengers were put on another Ryanair flight five hours later.
It was not immediately clear how much money French authorities were trying to reclaim from Ryanair.
The airline uses Boeing 737-800 planes, which cost 102.2 million dollars (£78.4 million) each when new.
Airlines often get deep discounts and, like a car, the value goes down as the plane ages.
Press Association
By Alistair Mason, Press Association A man wearing an “I heart Jesus” cap is wanted by police for a surprising crime – vandalising a church.
Independent.ie Newsdesk Michelle Obama has said she felt “lost and alone” after suffering a miscarriage 20 years ago and underwent IVF to conceive her two daughters.
By Laurie Kellman, Associated Press Michelle Obama has said she felt “lost and alone” after suffering a miscarriage 20 years ago and underwent IVF to conceive her two daughters.
French authorities have seized a Ryanair plane and forced 149 passengers to…
Michelle Obama has said she felt “lost and alone”…
Michelle Obama has said she felt “lost and alone” after suffering a miscarriage 20…
A knife-wielding man has stabbed three people, one…
Islamic State militants shot and killed two children…
An unusual love story has captured the hearts of…
Supermarket Iceland has seen its Christmas advert…
A woman left paralysed after being “catapulted”…
European authorities say they have seized 595lb of heroin in Genoa’s port and allowed…
Mourners have gathered to hold hands, sing and to…
Joe Allen captured the terrifying moment he…
Supermarket Iceland has seen its Christmas…
A knife-wielding man has stabbed two people,…
Tens of thousands of people have fled their…
Sheriff Geoff Dean of Ventura County…
Thirteen people have died, including a…
Eyewitness footage by Trenise Burns (27)…
Police and emergency services have arrived a the scene of a mass…
US attorney general Jeff Sessions has resigned…
US President Donald Trump called a CNN…
