A Ryanair plane sits on the tarmac at the Bordeaux-Merignac airport in southwestern France, after being impounded by French authorities, Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. Storms, strikes, computer failures _ you can now add "your plane has been seized by the government" to the list of things that can delay your flight. (AP Photo)

A Ryanair plane sits on the tarmac at the Bordeaux-Merignac airport in southwestern France, after being impounded by French authorities, Friday, Nov. 9, 2018. Storms, strikes, computer failures _ you can now add "your plane has been seized by the government" to the list of things that can delay your flight. (AP Photo)

PARIS (AP) — Storms, strikes, computer failures — you can now add “your plane has been seized by the government” to the list of things that can delay your flight.

In France, 149 passengers were preparing to take off for London late Thursday when French authorities ordered their Ryanair Boeing 737 impounded.

The budget carrier owed money and it was “regrettable that the state was forced” to evacuate the plane, the civil aviation authority said.

The passengers had gone through passport control and security and were about to walk on the tarmac to board the plane when airport authorities told them to turn around, passenger Boris Hejblum said.

“The airport staff told us there was an issue with the plane,” he told The Associated Press in an email.

No Ryanair staff members were available, and the only communication from the airline was two text messages saying simply that the departure was delayed, and a 5-euro ($5.75) voucher for food — “less than what a sandwich cost at the airport café,” the 30-year-old Frenchman said.

“I found it strange that the police were the only ones giving us information,” he said.

The passengers were put on another flight that finally brought them to London’s Stansted airport — five hours late.

The multi-million dollar jet, meanwhile, was released only Friday after Ryanair paid a bill of 525,000 euros ($610,000).

The scene unfolded at the Bordeaux-Merignac airport in western France, where authorities say the airline was ordered to pay back funds that the European Union had declared to be illegal subsidies. Ryanair did not publicly comment on the seizure.

French aviation agency spokesman Eric Heraud said regional authorities who originally gave the subsidies had been trying since 2014 to recover the money, and sent its final legal warning in May. After six months without a response from Ryanair, it decided to act Friday.

The standoff with French authorities will not help Ryanair, which more than most carriers, has come to symbolize budget airlines’ relentless focus on the bottom line at the cost of customer service.

Ryanair has become Europe’s largest airline by number of passengers by persistently offering some of the cheapest fares available. That ensures its planes are packed.

It then makes extra money with add-on fares. Besides charging for seating choice and food — now standard practice on budget flights the world over — it also has travelers pay for any carry-on bag that’s larger than a purse.

It manages to keep its costs down by flying to out of the way airports at odd hours to get cheaper airport slots.

Its CEO, Michael O’Leary, personifies the airline’s brash approach, sparring with unions and EU authorities. And despite conceding in 2013 that “we should try to eliminate things that unnecessarily piss people off,” the airline retains its reputation as something to be endured for the sake of flying cheaply around Europe.

“I would say we just took it as another Ryanair problem, having no information from them,” Hejblum said of Thursday’s incident. “When we found out about the seizure, I would say the general sentiment was to blame Ryanair for not complying with the law.”

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Piovano reported from London.</s>A Ryanair plane full of passengers was seized by French authorities as it was about to leave for London over a long-running cash dispute.

The French civil aviation authority stopped the aircraft setting off at Bordeaux airport on Thursday evening, from which it was due to fly to Stansted. There were 149 passengers on board.

The dispute dates back to 2008/09, officials said, when French subsidies were paid to Ryanair to provide flights from Angouleme, the capital of the Charente region, to London. The European Comission later ruled the deal had been illegal and ordered Ryanair to pay back the cash.

In a statement released on Friday, the authorities said the plane would remain grounded until the outstanding sum was paid, adding that the move was a “last resort” after multiple attempts to reclaim the money.

“It is unfortunate that the state had to take such action, which led to the inevitable inconvenience of the 149 passengers on board the immobilised plane,” the statement continued.

“Those passengers were able to eventually reach their destination later that evening on another Ryanair plane, but with a five-hour delay.”</s>Passengers aboard a plane headed to London this week were ordered to evacuate by French authorities after it was revealed that the carrier owed a substantial amount of money from 2014.

The Ryanair Boeing 737 was impounded and all 149 passengers were told to turn around and head back to the Bordeaux-Merignac airport in western France.

Travelers were left out of the loop for most of the ordeal, with only two text messages telling them that the departure was delayed and that they would receive vouchers worth about $6 for food. One passenger told The Associated Press that airport authorities told them there “was an issue with the plane.”

In reality, Ryanair’s plane was seized because of overdue bills.

Ryanair had been ordered for some time to pay back funds that the European Union had declared to be illegal subsidies.

French aviation agency spokesman Eric Heraud said regional authorities who originally gave the subsidies to the carrier had been trying since 2014 to recover the money. A final legal warning was sent in May, but after six months without a response from Ryanair, it was time to act.

The aircraft was only released after Ryanair paid a bill of $610,000.

The budget airliner is known in Europe for its inexpensive flight tickets, achieved with the aid of add-on fares including food and carry-ons larger than a purse.

Passengers from the Thursday flight were put on another plane, which eventually took them to their destination at London’s Stansted airport – five hours late.

The Associated Press contribute to this report.</s>Ryanair has been forced to pay the French government €525,000 (£450,000) to release one of its planes after it was impounded at Bordeaux airport in a decade-long legal battle over illegal subsidies.

French officials seized the aircraft on Thursday ahead of a planned flight to Stansted and forced 149 passengers to disembark.

The French civil aviation authority said it was “regrettable that the state was forced” to seize the plane, but that it took the measure because the low-cost airline had repeatedly ignored demands to repay subsidies a regional government handed to Ryanair.

The European commission ruled that about €1m of subsidies paid to Ryanair in return for it providing flights from Angoulême, 80 miles (130km) north-east of Bordeaux, to London between 2008 and 2009 were illegal.

Ryanair was ordered to repay all the money, which the commission said gave the airline an unfair advantage. But the French government said Ryanair had only paid back half the money, so it seized the plane and demanded the balance. The airline paid the bill on Friday.

“It is unfortunate that the state had to take such action, which led to the inevitable inconvenience of the 149 passengers onboard the immobilised plane,” the French civil aviation authority said. “Those passengers were able to eventually reach their destination later that evening on another Ryanair plane, but with a five-hour delay.”

Ryanair did not respond to requests for comment.</s>More than 140 London-bound passengers were forced to get off a Ryanair plane when French authorities seized it over outstanding repayments.

French authorities said Ryanair owed them €525,000 (£458,000) in subsidies wrongfully paid out to the airline.

A bailiff was escorted by police to seize the plane on the tarmac of Bordeaux airport as it was readying to take off for London Stansted.

Some 149 passengers had to disembark the Boeing 737 at Bordeaux's Merignac airport in southwestern France and wait five hours before resuming their journey.

Ryanair paid the outstanding debt within 24 hours and was able to reclaim the aircraft.

The president of the French regional airport authority, Didier Villat, said Ryanair had tried to haggle over the price and accused the carrier of "stinginess".

"They owed us €525,585.05 and they paid €524,907.80, which is the sum fixed on September 15," Mr Villat said.

He added that the figure did not take account of accrued interest since that date.

"Such stinginess, but we won't take the matter any further," he said.

"This measure was taken as a last resort by the French authorities after several reminders and attempts to recuperate the money failed," the DGAC civil aviation body said of the seizure.

In 2014, the EU Commission ruled that subsidies Ryanair received from a regional authority a decade ago had to be repaid.

DGAC said the Irish low-cost airline had not complied despite repeated warnings - including a final warning in May.

It was "regrettable" that the passengers on board the plane were delayed, the civil aviation body added.

Ryanair have not publicly commented on the matter.

Ryanair has had a string of troubles in recent months, including issues over their sole use of Irish legislation in employment contracts.

In July, strikes by cockpit and cabin crew disrupted 600 flights in Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain, affecting 100,000 travellers.

Ryanair is also fighting an order to suspend a charge for carry-on bags in Italy.

In the Netherlands, it is also embroiled in a row over shutting down its Eindhoven base for winter.</s>Ryanair passengers were forced to disembark the flight after it was impounded before taking off. French authorities seized the Boeing 737-800 due to a disagreement over subsidies to the airline. Taken at Bordeaux Airport, and bound for London Stansted, the flight was not allowed to depart. All 149 passengers were unable to take their flight and left on another plane five hours later.

The dispute between the French authorities and Ryanair is in regard to funds in 2008-2009. French subsidies were paid to the airline, which were later deemed illegal by the European Commission, according to the BBC. It is rumoured to be as much as £457,000, with the plane being held until the amount is paid. The French CAA told the BBC: “It is unfortunate that the state had to take such action, which led to the inevitable inconvenience of the 149 passengers on board the immobilised plane. "Those passengers were able to eventually reach their destination later that evening on another Ryanair plane, but with a five-hour delay."

Passengers would be able to claim for compensation, seeing as their flight was delayed for over three hours. Under EU law, flights that are more than three hours delayed and are to or from a country in the EU are eligible for a pay out. Depending on the length of the delay and the length of the journey, passengers can receive hundreds of pounds in compensation. EU regulation 261/2004 allows up to £536 in compensation per person.</s>French aviation authorities have seized a Ryanair plane bound for London, stranding nearly 150 passengers.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) revealed that it commandeered the aircraft at Bordeaux airport on Thursday in response to allegations Ryanair owes French authorities €525,000 (£457,000).

Ryanair arranged another plane and customers arrived in London around five hours late.

France is demanding the Irish airline hand back money paid by the small airport of Angulema-Cognac to Ryanair between 2008 and 2009. The European Commission declared in 2014 that the payments were in breach of EU competition laws as they amounted to state aid.

A current bid to go to court over the unpaid...</s>Officials in the western department of Charente and France's aviation authority DGAC which is home to over 6,000 Brits, ordered the bailiffs to Bordeaux airport on Thursday evening to seize the Ryanair plane before it took off bound for London Stansted airport.

Passengers were not allowed to board the plane and the aircraft was forced to remain on the tarmac until a debt had been paid.

Regional newspaper Charente Libre reported that the plane was close to take-off for London's Stansted airport when a bailiff declared it seized on the tarmac and sealed the aircraft.

The Irish airline reportedly owes €525,000 to the department of Charente, a debt that dates back to the subsidies paid to Ryanair to provide flights from Angouleme airport to London in 2008 and 2009.

Those subsidies were judged illegal by the European Commission in 2014. Ryanair was ordered by court to repay the €965,000 subsidies it received but has only stumped up around half the money.

Charente airport union leader Didier Villat told SudOuest newspaper: "To my knowledge it's the first time a Ryanair plane has been seized in this way."

"Just because we manage a little airport in Charente it doesn't mean we are not going to defend ourselves," he added.

A statement from France's aviation authority the DGAC read: "By this act the French state reaffirms its desire to guarantee the conditions of fair competition between airlines and its airports," adding that the move to seize the plane was a "last resort" after several failed efforts to reclaim the debt.

The plane "will remain immobilised until the sum is paid".

Passengers who were supposed to board the grounded flight were put on another plane that left five hours later. The DGAC called the disruption to passengers "regrettable".

The Local has approached Ryanair for comment.

Last month, EU anti-trust authorities opened an investigation into whether Ryanair benefited from measures at a German airport that give the Irish low-cost carrier an unfair leg-up over competitors.

And last week ministers from five European governments warned Ryanair that it could face legal trouble if it ignores national labour laws after a series of strikes across the continent.

The pan-European stoppages prompted the airline to cut its profit forecast, but it still expects to make profits after tax of 1.10-1.20 billion euros in its current financial year.

Ryanair is also fighting an order by Italian regulators to suspend a charge for carry-on bags.</s>Nearly 150 passengers were stranded after the London-bound flight was commandeered at Bordeaux Airport on Thursday. A row over French subsidies Ryanair was paid for flights from Angouleme airport in the Charente region between 2008 and 2009 was blamed for the Boeing 737’s seizure. The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) grounded the Boeing 737 with 149 passengers, claiming it was a “last resort”.

The European Commission later ruled around £873,000 (€1million)in subsidies paid to Ryanair were illegal and ordered the Irish carrier to repay all the money. Following the commission’s 2014 ruling that the payments gave Ryanair an unfair advantage, around half the subsidies were repaid. A bailiff seized the Boeing 737 as it was on the airport tarmac preparing for take off. The budget airline’s plane would remain grounded “until the sum is paid”, France’s aviation authority said.

Another plane was arranged for passengers, who arrived in London five hours late. "It is unfortunate that the state had to take such action, which led to the inevitable inconvenience of the 149 passengers on board the immobilised plane," the French civil aviation authority said. "Those passengers were able to eventually reach their destination later that evening on another Ryanair plane, but with a five-hour delay." A DGAC spokesman added: “This measure was taken as a last resort by the French authorities after several reminders and attempts to recuperate the money failed.

“By this action, the government reaffirms its intention to guarantee the conditions of fair competition between airlines and between airports.” French airport official Didier Villat told Sud Ouest newspaper: "To my knowledge it's the first time a Ryanair plane has been seized in this way. "Just because we manage a little airport in Charente it doesn't mean we are not going to defend ourselves." Ryanair has been hit by a number of setbacks in recent months,with pilots and cabin crews across Europe going on strike.</s>Ryanair jet seized by French authorities just before takeoff
French authorities impound a Ryanair jet, because of payments owed to the European Union for illegal subsidies, at the Bordeaux–Mérignac Airport just before 149 London-bound passengers boarded.