The European Commission has opened infringement proceedings against Spain over the fines the country imposed on five low-cost airlines for charging passengers for hand luggage and other optional services. According to Euronews, Spanish authorities last year fined Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Norwegian and Volotea, claiming they had unlawfully charged passengers additional fees, including those for bringing hand luggage into the cabin, reserving adjacent seats for minors or passengers with special needs, and printing boarding passes.
Under the decision of Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs, Ryanair received the largest fine of €107.8 million, representing about 60% of the total amount. Vueling was fined €39.2 million, easyJet €29 million, while Norwegian and Volotea received smaller fines of €1.6 million and €1.2 million respectively.
However, Brussels believes that Spain has overstepped its authority. The European Commission stated that, although the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that baggage must, in principle, be free of charge, this applies only to reasonable requirements regarding weight, size and safety. Excess baggage, the Commission added, “is subject to the freedom to set prices,” meaning that airlines have the right to decide independently whether and how much to charge for additional services.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary welcomed the Commission’s decision and used the opportunity to criticise the Spanish government once again. “These measures harm European consumers, and now you don’t have to listen to me anymore – the Commission has confirmed they are illegal,” O’Leary said at an impromptu press conference, as reported by Euronews.
On the other hand, Spanish Minister Pablo Bustinduy called Brussels’ decision “regrettable” and accused the European Commission of “openly siding with multinational corporations.” He added that the procedure does not affect the fines already imposed, which are currently under appeal before the High Court of Justice in Madrid and the National Court.
Relations between the Spanish government and Ryanair have long been strained. O’Leary recently renewed his criticism of Spain’s high airport charges and announced a reduction in capacity for the upcoming summer season by an additional one million seats. The state-owned airport operator Aena accused Ryanair of pursuing a “pressure and manipulation strategy” to boost profit margins, noting that “it is hard to find a case in modern business where the gap between a company’s operational excellence and the insincerity of its communication policy is so stark.”
The dispute between Spain and the low-cost airlines has thus moved beyond national borders, becoming a European issue with broader implications for the regulation of ancillary fees in air transport across the European Union.
