The European Commission has said that fines imposed by Spain on five budget airlines for charging extra fees on cabin bags breaches EU regulations.
Last year, the Spanish government fined Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Norwegian and Volotea a total of €179 million (R3,5bn) for charging for cabin bags. The fines were suspended earlier this year while the matter was under judicial review.
According to the European Commission, the fines breach an EU regulation that allows airlines the freedom to set their prices.
“Hand baggage should in principle be free of charge as long as it meets reasonable requirements in terms of weight and dimensions, and complies with applicable security requirements. Hand baggage which exceeds such reasonable requirements is subject to pricing freedom,” said the Commission.
Spain's national Air Navigation Law does not allow airlines to charge extra for any hand luggage, restricting their freedom to set prices. When issuing the fines, the Spanish government alleged that the airlines applied separate charges for the service of carrying supplementary cabin luggage.
The Commission has given Spain two months to respond and address the issue.
