Ryanair has been ordered to pay €10,000 to a schoolboy who suffered emotional distress after his flight made an emergency landing due to loss of cabin pressure. The boy, Stefan Kokic, was 11 years old at the time of the incident, which occurred in 2018. He was on a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Zadar, Croatia, when the plane had to make an emergency landing in Germany after the cabin lost pressure.
Kokic was diagnosed with stress and headaches following the incident. He sued Ryanair through his mother, who said in an affidavit that her son had been "emotionally upset" by the experience. Ryanair initially denied liability, but later conceded that the event was an accident. In July 2023, a judge ordered the airline to pay Kokic €10,000 in damages.
The settlement is based on the Montreal Convention, which is an international treaty that governs air travel. The convention states that airlines are liable for accidents that cause bodily injury or death. In this case, the court found that Kokic had suffered emotional distress, which is considered a form of bodily injury under the convention.
The settlement is a victory for Kokic and his family. It sends a message that airlines are responsible for the safety of their passengers and that they will be held accountable for accidents that cause emotional distress.