MADRID (Reuters) – Spanish authorities have imposed fines totaling 150 million euros ($163 million) on low-cost airlines Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling and Volotea, consumer groups that have been fighting the allegations for six years said on Friday.
The fines pose a challenge to the low-cost airlines’ business model, which relies on charging ticket prices and surcharges for things like larger carry-on luggage that traditional airlines have previously provided for free.
Spain’s Consumer Protection Ministry has fined the airlines for violating consumer rights by charging for larger hand luggage, seat selection or printing boarding passes, and by not allowing cash payments at check-in counters or the purchase of items on board, according to consumer associations OCU and Facua, which have been challenging these practices since 2018.
The ministry launched an investigation in 2023.
The OCU said in a statement that it expected other European countries to follow suit and punish the same “abusive practices.”
The Spanish aviation association ALA, which confirmed the fines, immediately criticised the government’s decision, saying it violated the European Union’s internal market rules and the freedom of companies to set their own prices.
“We defend the consumer’s right to choose the best travel option,” ALA President Javier Gandara said in a statement, adding that Spain’s decision would force up to 50 million passengers who travel with only a small bag under their seat to pay for services they do not need.
The Consumer Protection Ministry did not immediately comment. Ryanair, Volotea and Vueling declined to comment on the fine, saying the ALA was speaking on their behalf.
In 2019, a Spanish court ruled that Ryanair’s policy of charging a fee for hand luggage was “abusive.” However, Ryanair maintained its policy, citing the commercial freedom of airlines to determine the size of their hand luggage.
The success of low-cost airlines and the attractiveness of their low-price policies have forced many established airlines to stop offering services such as free food and drinks or entertainment on short- and medium-haul flights.
(1 dollar = 0.9242 euros)
(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Emma Pinedo; Editing by Andrei Khalip and David Holmes)
