They claimed the parents’ libro de familia, the official birth certificate produced once a newborn baby is registered, was not sufficient as identification and insisted on seeing her photo ID card.

But the National Security Plan, drawn up by the Civil Aviation Authority, says a libro de familia is valid as identification for boarding a flight for children under 14 accompanied by their parents.

Mum and dad, Elena and Jaime, had to rush around finding another flight to be able to get to their family in time to celebrate the New Year.

This involved two connecting flights, changing in Madrid, and cost them an extra 1,300 euros on top of the cost of the Ryanair flight they were barred from taking.

To rub salt in the wound, the Ryanair steward reportedly told the parents, “We are not preventing yourself and your wife from boarding. Only your daughter is unable to enter the aircraft,” to which Jaime replied, “and what are we supposed to do with our daughter? Are you going to look after her?”

Ryanair’s employees at Valencia airport did not turn up to the court hearing this week, meaning they have been ordered to pay the couple 1,500 euros and have also been found to be in contempt of court.