Spain’s leftist government announced on Friday that it has fined five budget airlines, including Ryanair and EasyJet, a total of 179 million euros ($187 million) for “abusive practices.” These practices include charging passengers for hand luggage, reserving adjacent seats for children and dependents, and not accepting cash payments for tickets at airports.
The airlines fined were Ryanair, EasyJet, Volotea, Vueling, and Norwegian Air. Ryanair received the largest fine of 107.8 million euros, followed by Vueling with 39.3 million euros. EasyJet was fined 29.1 million euros, Norwegian Air 1.6 million euros, and Volotea 1.2 million euros.
The fines were also imposed for providing misleading information and lacking price transparency, which hinders consumers’ ability to compare offers and make informed decisions.
Ryanair was specifically fined for charging passengers a “disproportionate amount” for printing their boarding passes at terminals.
The fines were calculated based on the “illicit profit” obtained by each airline from these practices. The ministry upheld the fines, which were first announced in May, and dismissed the appeals lodged by the companies.
The consumer rights association Facua hailed the decision as “historic,” stating that these sanctions are the highest ever applied by a consumer protection authority. Passengers can now claim reimbursement for these charges.
