Italian court tells Ryanair to pay compensation for plane damage to family home
An Italian court has ordered Ryanair to pay around €25,000 in compensation to a family whose house was damaged by one of the budget carrier's planes during landing.
The roof of the family home in Treviso, north-eastern Italy, was damaged as the aeroplane approached the local airport. The air pressure caused by a low-flying plane caused several square metres of tiles to fall from the roof in the 2009 incident, according to local media reports.
The family sued Ryanair, and a local court determined that the airline was responsible after a technical survey judged that the damage was indeed caused by the plane.
READ ALSO: Court rules Ryanair doesn't owe Italy millions in tax
The Venice Court of Appeal has now backed up this decision, which rejected an appeal from Ryanair, a company known for its cost-cutting measures.
"It's undoubtedly a case of David versus Goliath," said Roberto Simoni, president of the regional organization Obiettivo Risarcimento (Objective Compensation), which assisted the family with their legal battle.
Speaking to local paper Oggi Treviso, Simoni said: "I'm convinced that this judgment sets an extraordinary precedent. The problem isn't just the damaged roof, but the psychological damage from the point of view of the family."
Judges ordered the Irish company to pay €25,000 in compensation, legal fees, and the cost of the technical survey. The ruling was issued on February 17th this year, Oggi Treviso reported, but Simoni said that Ryanair had not yet paid the money to the family.
READ ALSO: Brit fined €3,000 for public defecation in Italian airport
Comments
See Also
The roof of the family home in Treviso, north-eastern Italy, was damaged as the aeroplane approached the local airport. The air pressure caused by a low-flying plane caused several square metres of tiles to fall from the roof in the 2009 incident, according to local media reports.
The family sued Ryanair, and a local court determined that the airline was responsible after a technical survey judged that the damage was indeed caused by the plane.
READ ALSO: Court rules Ryanair doesn't owe Italy millions in tax
The Venice Court of Appeal has now backed up this decision, which rejected an appeal from Ryanair, a company known for its cost-cutting measures.
"It's undoubtedly a case of David versus Goliath," said Roberto Simoni, president of the regional organization Obiettivo Risarcimento (Objective Compensation), which assisted the family with their legal battle.
Speaking to local paper Oggi Treviso, Simoni said: "I'm convinced that this judgment sets an extraordinary precedent. The problem isn't just the damaged roof, but the psychological damage from the point of view of the family."
Judges ordered the Irish company to pay €25,000 in compensation, legal fees, and the cost of the technical survey. The ruling was issued on February 17th this year, Oggi Treviso reported, but Simoni said that Ryanair had not yet paid the money to the family.
READ ALSO: Brit fined €3,000 for public defecation in Italian airport
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.