Tristan James Walker, a passenger on board who photographed the incident, told the New York Post: "He was taken off, he was very calm, didn't argue or anything, no drama. The pilot then came out after the air stewardess explained what happened, and then the pilot stated he would be removed from the plane."
Following this event, Ryanair reportedly blacklisted the individual involved. This is not an isolated occurrence; similar incidents have been reported previously. Last summer saw another case where a passenger was caught vaping on a Ryanair flight to Ibiza from the United Kingdom and was also removed from the aircraft. In August 2024 at Manchester Airport (MAN), three women were asked to stop drinking and vaping before takeoff but refused and were subsequently removed from their Ryanair flight as reported by Diario de Ibiza.
Both the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) enforce strict penalties for smoking or vaping onboard commercial flights. The CAA outlines consequences such as arrest and criminal charges which may lead to significant fines or up to two years of imprisonment. If a flight is diverted due to disruptive behavior, those responsible can be held liable for all related costs. Airlines also reserve the right to ban offending passengers from future travel.
Passengers affected by this latest incident were traveling on one of Ryanair’s newer Boeing jets—the high-density Boeing 737 MAX 8-200—which can carry up to 200 people. This model provides increased seating capacity compared to previous generations while improving fuel efficiency and reducing carbon emissions per seat. These features allow airlines like Ryanair to offer lower fares across Europe by spreading operational costs over more seats while supporting environmental sustainability.
The MAX 8-200 version includes enhancements such as more comfortable seating and adjustable LED lighting similar to that found on larger Boeing models like the Dreamliner series.
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