Spanish administration imposes a fine of 150 million euros on four budget airlines.
The Spanish government slapped fines on four budget airlines for extra charges related to hand luggage and other questionable practices, as per news reports. Affected airlines include Ryanair, EasyJet, Vueling, and Volotea, as stated by the state broadcaster RTVE and other media outlets on Friday, citing the competent ministry for Social Rights and Consumer Protection in Madrid. The left-leaning government acknowledged the information but didn't offer specifics right away.
The media and the Spanish consumer protection group Facua, who filed a complaint that spurred the ministry to launch penalty proceedings last summer, hailed the fine as "historic." "This is exactly what we're fighting for - to put an end to fraud and unlawful practices," Facua General Secretary Rubén Sánchez shared in a conversation with journalists in Seville. "For the very first time in our history, we can say we're pleased with the magnitude of the fine."
The Spanish Airline Association (ALA), who speaks for over 60 airlines functioning in the EU, lambasted the decision, asserting it implied an unofficial prohibition on the hand luggage fees exacted by certain airlines. This would negatively affect consumers, particularly the "50 million passengers who don't take hand luggage onto the plane," the statement read. "We're losing the prerogative of paying for only what's necessary for these passengers."
