Spain fines budget airlines including Ryanair E179m

Spain has fined five budget airlines a total of E179m for "abusive practices" including charging for hand luggage. Ryanair has been given the largest fine of €108m (£90m), followed by EasyJet's penalty of €29m (£24m). Vueling, Norwegian and Volotea were issued with sanctions by Spain's Consumer Rights Ministry on Friday. The ministry said it plans to ban practices such as charging extra for carry-on hand luggage and reserving seats for children. The fines are the biggest sanction issued by the ministry, and follow an investigation into the budget airline industry. The ministry said it had upheld fines that were first announced in May after dismissing appeals lodged by the companies. Vueling, the budget arm of British Airways owner IAG, has been fined E39m, while Norwegian Airlines and Volotea have been fined E1.6m and E1.2m respectively. The fines were issued because the airlines were found to have provided misleading information and were not transparent with prices, "which hinders consumers' ability to compare offers" and make informed decisions, the ministry said. Ryanair was accused of violating a range of consumer rights, including charging for larger carry-on luggage, seat selection, and asking for "a disproportionate amount" to print boarding passes at terminals. Each fine was calculated based on the "illicit profit" obtained by each airline from these practices.<br/>