Ryanair (107.7 million euros), Vueling (39.2 million euros), easyJet (29 million euros), Norwegian (1.6 million euros) and Volotea (1.1 million euros) are the companies that have been fined according to the Spanish Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption.

In May, Spain fined several low-cost airlines as part of an investigation that began in 2023 and was conducted by Spain's General Directorate of Consumption due to airline practices “which were qualified as very serious breaches” of the General Law of Consumer and User Protection, sanctions that have now been confirmed, after the appeal period has elapsed.

In addition to the fines, the airlines targeted are also prohibited from “continuing the practices”, such as the requirement to pay for the transport of hand luggage and supplements to reserve contiguous seats on planes for accompanying minors and dependent people.

Also sanctioned was the lack of transparency and omissions in information about the final price of services, the impossibility of paying supplements charged at airports in cash or being forced to pay for the printing of travel documents.

The calculation of the value of the fines took into account “the illicit profit obtained” by the companies from these practices, and the airlines targeted can now go to court, enjoying a period of two months to do so.

Ryanair guarantees appeal

Meanwhile, Ryanair reacted to the Spanish decision and guarantees that it will appeal the fine imposed, having already “instructed its lawyers” so that the appeal can take place “immediately”.

“Ryanair has instructed its lawyers to immediately appeal the illegal and unfounded baggage fines in Spain,” reads a statement released by the low-cost airline, which guarantees that its baggage policies “have already been approved in several hearings” in Spanish courts and the European Union, including recently in Barcelona.

For Michael O’Leary, CEO of the Ryanair Group, these fines are “illegal and unfounded”, as they “clearly violate EU law” and were “invented by the Spanish Ministry of Consumer Affairs for political reasons”.

Michael O’Leary believes that the fines will be overturned by European courts, not least because the airline has been applying baggage fees and airport check-in fees for “many years”, which also allows the airline’s fares to be lower. lows.

“The success of Ryanair and other low-cost airlines in Spain and across Europe in recent years is entirely due to Europe's open skies regime and the freedom of airlines to set prices and policies without interference from national governments who that’s what today’s illegal Spanish fines are,” the official adds.