Spain Fines Budget Airlines Over "Abusive Practices"

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Spain’s leftist government announced on Friday that it has imposed a total fine of 179 million euros ($187 million) on five budget airlines, including Ryanair and EasyJet, for engaging in "abusive practices" that harm passengers. These practices include charging additional fees for hand luggage, requiring payments for reserving adjacent seats for children or dependents, and refusing to accept cash for ticket sales at airports.

Ryanair, which was the first to introduce hand luggage charges in November 2018, received the largest fine of 107.8 million euros. Other airlines fined include Vueling, a member of the International Airlines Group, which was ordered to pay 39.3 million euros, EasyJet with a 29.1 million euro fine, Norwegian Air fined 1.6 million euros, and Volotea, based in Barcelona, penalized 1.2 million euros.

These fines reflect the government’s push to protect consumer rights and prevent exploitative practices in the airline industry.