The Consumer Affairs Ministry has opened a disciplinary action against another low-cost airline for charging for hand luggage.

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has initiated a new sanctioning procedure against a low-cost airline for possible abusive practices. This is the sixth company under investigation, following the fines imposed in November 2024 on Ryanair, Vueling, EasyJet, Norwegian, and Volotea, totaling €179 million .
The Ministry, headed by Pablo Bustinduy , is continuing its fight against airlines that impose additional charges considered illegal, such as charges for carrying carry-on luggage in the cabin or for reserving adjacent seats for dependents . In this new case, the name of the affected company has not been revealed, since, according to the Ministry, the law prohibits doing so until the sanctioning procedure is final.
The Directorate General for Consumer Affairs bases this action on indications of a violation of Article 47.1 of the General Law for the Defense of Consumers and Users . Among the practices questioned are the charging of extra fees for hand luggage, charges for reserving seats for minors or people with special needs, and a lack of transparency in the prices published, both on its website and on third-party platforms. According to the law, these violations could lead to fines ranging from €10,000 to €1 million , or up to eight times the amount obtained from these practices.
The Ministry emphasizes that not all airlines apply these practices and that their widespread adoption is relatively recent. They attribute their origin to a low-cost airline that began charging for them after the COVID pandemic, triggering a domino effect among its competitors. Furthermore, they point out that both Spanish and European regulations expressly prohibit charging for carry-on baggage that meets reasonable size and weight criteria.
The Consumer Affairs Ministry relies on the so-called "Vueling" ruling, issued by the Court of Justice of the EU in 2014 (Case C-487/12), which establishes that hand luggage is an essential element of transport and cannot be subject to surcharges. This interpretation was reaffirmed by the European Parliament in October 2023 and by the European Economic and Social Committee in March 2024.
The case now being opened adds to the November 2024 fines totaling €179 million against Ryanair, Vueling, EasyJet, Norwegian, and Volotea. Of these, more than €100 million correspond to Ryanair. Although all the airlines have appealed, the court has accepted precautionary measures for at least three of them, allowing them to continue applying the surcharges while the dispute is resolved.
For its part, the Ministry emphasizes that the recent decision by the Council of the European Union to consider legalizing charges for carry-on baggage in the cabin "demonstrates that this practice is currently not legal," and underscores its commitment to defending consumer rights against abusive practices in air transport.
elmundo