Boy, 11, awarded £8.5k over 'terrifying' Ryanair flight that gave him nightmares

04 July 2023 , 15:23

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Stefan Kokic suffered a 'terrifying ordeal' during a flight from Ireland to Croatia, leading him to have nightmares (Image: PA)

Ryanair have been ordered to pay a young boy £8,500 after he suffered a "terrifying ordeal" during a flight from Ireland to Croatia, leading him to have nightmares.

Stefan Kokic, now aged 17 but 11 years old at the time, was on board the flight from Dublin to Zadar Airport in July 2018 when the plane suffered a sudden loss of cabin pressure.

An emergency landing saw the aircraft divert into Frankfurt Hahn Airport before Stefan and his parents eventually continued on to their destination.

Stefan was subsequently diagnosed with a degree of stress secondary to the incident as well as headaches, Daily Star reports.

“Stefan was involved in an undoubtedly terrifying ordeal,” the teenager's lawyer Ciaran Mandal told the Circuit Civil Court on Monday.

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An affidavit showed Stefan's family claimed he had suffered emotional upset as a result of the ordeal but had dealt well with the experience. The teenager, who lives in Kildare, Ireland, sued Ryanair through his mother.

Ryanair have paid Stefan £10,000 (Getty Images)

The court heard Stefan had twice attended his GP, Dr Hugh Brady of The Bridge Medical Centre, Newbridge, Kildare.

Judge John O’Connor approved a €10,000 settlement offer by Ryanair on the basis of “outstanding issues”. He told the young man's lawyer that he 'had done very well' for Stefan.

Mirror Online has approached Ryanair for comment.

It comes after a Ryanair passenger was arrested after trying to open a plane door on a flight from Croatia to London.

The 27-year-old man jumped from his seat moments before take-off at Zadar Airport on June 30 and tried to force the door open. But other tourists became have-a-go heroes to help restrain the man, and he was removed from the plane and arrested.

A spokesperson for Ryanair said: "This flight from Zadar to London Stansted (30 June) returned to stand when an individual passenger became disruptive while preparing for take-off. The passenger was removed from the aircraft by local police before this flight continued safely to London Stansted.

"This is now a matter for local police. We sincerely apologise to affected passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of this passenger’s disruptive behaviour."

Leigh Mcmanus