Ryanair must pay gigantic fines in Hungary

Ryanair, the Irish low-cost carrier, is facing two fines in Hungary. One is HUF 300 million (EUR 770,000) and is related to the government’s departure tax, while the other is HUF 200 million (EUR 520,000), and its reason is a 2020 scandal at Budapest Airport. Both cases were taken to court, but the company lost them. As a result, they will pay almost 1.3 million to the Hungarian budget.

As we wrote, Ryanair had a flight from Budapest to Gran Canaria on 18 February 2020. The boarding was completed, but the flight did not take off. Instead, the plane circled on the ground, but neither the pilot nor the flight assistants explained why. Furthermore, the passengers could not leave the plane or get food or water for free. After circling around for over 6 hours at the airport, a passenger lost his temper and went to the toilet to smoke. Authorities immediately apprehended him. Later, the flight took off, but passengers were outraged at the company’s employees for keeping them in the dark for so long.

Allegedly, the plane was overweight, so it had to burn some fuel to become light enough to leave Hungary. However, nobody communicated this to the anxious passengers. Additionally, they had to endure the cold because the heating system did not work. Finally, the flight departed at 12.19 pm instead of 6.30 am. After the scandal broke out, Gergely Gulyás, the prime minister’s chief of staff, called for an immediate investigation.

Ryanair Hungary

The Government Office of the Capital imposed a fine of HUF 200 million (EUR 520,000). However, Ryanair did not accept the verdict and took the issue to court. The process concluded yesterday. The Hungarian Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Hungarian authorities, so Ryanair has to pay EUR 520,000 because they did not provide care and information to their passengers. Furthermore, they engaged in unfair commercial practises, as reported by index.hu.

Interested in Ryanair articles? HERE is one about why travelling might become difficult from Hungary with the Irish airline. Meanwhile, you may read about a new EU initiative that could disrupt the business model of both Ryanair and Wizz Air HERE.

Ryanair will also face another substantial fine

When the Hungarian government introduced the so-called excess profit taxes after securing a supermajority in the 2022 general elections (and the budget was depleted), they included airlines among the companies that needed to pay more. However, Ryanair did not accept that and claimed it was a form of theft to pay extra money for each plane ticket purchased in Hungary. Consequently, they decided to pass that cost on to their passengers.

Michael O’Leary, Ryanair’s CEO:

Nevertheless, the Hungarian authorities retaliated against this move. They initiated a procedure against the Irish company and fined it HUF 300 million (EUR 770,000). Ryanair did not accept that either and sought legal protection through the courts. However, both the Metropolitan Court of Budapest and the Metropolitan Court of Appeal rejected Ryanair’s request, so they will have to pay that amount as well.

If you would like to support the work of the Daily News Hungary staff and independent journalism,
please make a donation here

Hot news

4 Comments

Michael Steiner says:

15/10/2023 at 08:25

That was effectively kidnapping and Ryanair should have been criminally prosecuted, too. Beyond shocking.
Christoph THOMAS says:

15/10/2023 at 13:28

interesting to see this in the works 😉
JumpyJanos says:

16/10/2023 at 20:59

And when Ryanair simply says goodbye Hungary, enjoy you loves behind the fences..,
Democracy is Dialogue: says:

17/10/2023 at 06:30

Ryanair and the Hungarian Government is another example, of a relationship, that includes, in the services they provide a need by the citizens of Hungary, and through there services, the role Ryanair play, bringing tourist into Hungary.
Democracy is DIALOGUE.
The Orban way of dealing, this is another prime example – this Ryanair “saga” – the “switch off” one sided opinionated dictatorial driven style approach, that is adapted by the Orban “lot”.
NEVER is there a “middle ground” finding a place of reconciliation, a balanced position, a win-win outcome on matters of disagreement or argument, practiced by the Orban “lot”.
Repetitive in the 14 plus years the Orban “lot” have been the Government of Hungary, relationships that have CRASHED with country’s, with companies operated outside the boarders of Hungary, that just comes back to the practice of DIALOGUE – the acceptance that it is a “Creed” of DEMOCRACY.
Examine, right at this present time, what a catastrophic broadsheet disaster we Hungary find ourselves in.
The BLAME just returns, returns to one individual, who with his Government, his party Fidesz, have literally incinerated to the outside world, country’s governed under DEMOCRACY, the name Hungary.
Victor Orban – his shoulders carry the BURDEN of the ugly place we as a country are factually in, that the picture will WORSEN.
“My way or the Highway” – no middle ground driven by the non practice of Dialogue, under DEMOCRACY, that leaves us as a country, under the Orban “lot” – searching wondering what the NADIR the lowest point as a country, across all the componentry mechanisms as a country we DESCEND.