Spain Fines Budget Airlines €179 Million for 'Abusive Practices'

The penalties target Ryanair, EasyJet, and others for charging fees on hand luggage, seat reservations, and other consumer rights violations.

Ryanair received the largest fine of €108 million, followed by Vueling (€39 million) and EasyJet (€29 million), with Norwegian and Volotea fined smaller amounts.
The fines address practices such as charging for hand luggage, reserving seats for children or dependents, and imposing excessive fees for printing boarding passes at airports.
Spain's Consumer Affairs Ministry has banned these practices and criticized airlines for a lack of price transparency that misled consumers.
Ryanair and other airlines plan to appeal, claiming the fines are illegal under EU law and threaten their low-cost business model.
Consumer advocacy groups have praised the decision as historic, with potential reimbursement claims now possible for affected passengers.