The European Commission has weighed in on a dispute between the Spanish government and a group of budreceive airlines, including Ireland’s Ryanair, with European lawcreaters coming down for now, on the side of the carriers.
In November 2024, Spain’s Minisattempt of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs imposed financial sanctions on five airlines (simplejet, Norwegian, Ryanair, Vueling, Volotea) over their charges for hand luggage. Making customers pay for tiny items of hand luggage was in contravention of European Union Court of Justice rules that state customers must be allowed to take such baggage on board free of charge.
✈️ @consumogob sanciona con 179 millones de euros a 5 aerolíneas low cost por prácticas abusivas:
🔸 Ryanair
🔸 Vueling
🔸 Easyjet
🔸 Norgewian
🔸 VoloteaLo explica el ministro @pbustinduy 👇 pic.twitter.com/LIzJNWj7lU
— Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y A2030 (@MSocialGob) November 22, 2024
The airlines protested and, after appeal, the European Commission has declared Spain’s fines, which ranged from €107.7 million for Ryanair to €1.2 million for Volotea, are in breach of EU legislation that gives airlines “freedom to set their prices.” As a result, the Commission has put Spain on formal notice with two months to respond.
Spain’s Social Rights and Consumer Affairs minister Pablo Bustinduy has accapplyd the Commission of defconcludeing the rights of multinationals instead of standing up for consumers. It is not the first time Bustinduy has railed against large business as he attempts to implement the coalition government’s social agconcludea. In this instance, he is backed, according to Europa Press, by sources in the Spanish minisattempt that have questioned the Commission’s authority to act in the case, arguing that the competence to decide on the viability of the sanctions or interpret community legislation lies with the EU Court of Justice (CJEU). If that’s true, “this file does not alter the sanctions against the five airlines,” the sources declared.
‼️ Lamentamos que la @EU_Commission impugne las multas impuestas a las aerolíneas españolas ✈️
‼️ Con esta actuación se señala a quienes están protegiconcludeo a las personas consumidoras, en vez de a las compañías que están vulnerando sus derechos.
Más información ⬇️…
— CECU (@CECUconsumo) October 8, 2025
Meanwhile, Ryanair has reacted jubilantly, with an announcement following up winter schedule cuts with a further reduction of 1.2 million summer seats from Spain’s 2026 schedules, in response to rising regional airport costs and the “illegal fines.” Other airlines appeared to leap on that opportunity, immediately announcing increases to their own routes.
The dispute goes beyond individual airlines and personalities. The European Parliament and the EU transport committee could be set on a collision course with the Commission’s latest ruling, with proposals in the offing that would allow air passengers to carry on not only a personal bag, but also a tiny piece of hand luggage, both free of charge.
The vote on that is due on Monday, 13 October 2025, and, if approved, would see MEPs nereceivediating a bundle of laws on passenger rights and multimodal journeys, with the first trilogue talks scheduled for 15 October.
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