The French civil aviation authority reported that it had confiscated a plane at Bordeaux-Merignac Airport as a final measure. This action came after multiple attempts by France to get Ryanair to repay regional funds the airline received in 2008/09. The European Commission later deemed those funds illegal, stating they gave Ryanair an unfair economic advantage. The aviation authority expressed regret that the state had to take the drastic step of seizing the plane on Thursday. It noted that passengers were accommodated on another Ryanair flight five hours later.
Ryanair did not issue a public statement regarding the incident. An aviation authority spokesperson, Eric Heraud, confirmed that the airline had repaid the funds, and the plane would be returned.