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. 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. 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 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.
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.