Ryanair has been ordered to pay damages of 67,500 euros (�43,000; $64,650) to a passenger after a judge found the budget airline had gone back on a promise to give her free flights for life.

Jane O'Keeffe had been granted the free flights after becoming the airline's one millionth passenger in 1988.

I am absolutely delighted

Jane O'Keeffe

But she sued Ryanair for damages after she claimed the company was refusing to honour the prize.

And Mr Justice Peter Kelly found that the airline had breached its contract with Ms O'Keeffe when it started to restrict the offer in 1997.

"I am absolutely delighted - the judge obviously considered all the evidence very thoroughly, was very fair and I feel very vindicated by his findings," said Ms O'Keeffe.

Ryanair had argued that there was no legal contract between the company and Mrs O'Keeffe, and that the offer was a gift.

But after the judgment was made, the carrier said it was "very satisfied" with the outcome and would not be appealing.

'Shabby' treatment

Ms O'Keeffe had won the prize in a blaze of publicity, with widespread media coverage.

She had used the offer up until 1997 without any problems, despite the lack of a written contract.

The judge said her use of free travel was "modest".

"During most years she took three or four flights and certainly never exceeded five," he said.

But in 1997 she started to have problems, which came to a head when she attempted to book a flight from Dublin to Glasgow.

She complained to the airline, but the judge said her treatment by Ryanair over the incident had been "unpleasant and shabby".

He also said Ryanair's chief executive had been "hostile and aggressive" in his dealings with her.