### Spain Imposes Record €179 Million Fine on Low-Cost Airlines for Abusive Practices

Spain has issued a historic €179 million fine against budget airlines Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Norwegian, and Volotea. The penalty, imposed on Friday, is for a range of abusive practices, particularly extra charges for hand luggage and seat reservations for accompanying dependent passengers, according to the ministry of consumer affairs.

The ruling not only confirms but also increases the initial fines of €150 million suggested in May. Furthermore, Spain's Consumer Affairs Minister, Pablo Bustinduy, has dismissed appeals made by the airlines regarding the fines.

By breakdown, Ryanair faces the largest fine of €107 million, followed by Vueling at €39 million, and easyJet at €29 million. Norwegian and Volotea received smaller fines, each amounting to less than €2 million. The ministry’s decision also mandates the airlines to stop these sanctioned practices immediately.

Apart from surcharges for hand baggage and fees for adjacent seats for minors and dependents, the airlines were also penalized for additional actions. These include prohibiting cash payments at Spanish airports, charging exorbitant fees for printing boarding passes, and a lack of price transparency.

The implicated airlines have a two-month window to contest the decision before the fines are enforced. The consumer affairs ministry emphasized that this is the first instance of issuing very serious sanctions under its new powers, which the ministry acquired in June 2022.