A ruling in favour of consumers backs Ryanair’s model of offering more choice and low fares, as more than 50 million passengers in Spain travel each year with a free bag under their seat (Free Bag). Ryanair, today (26 June) welcomed the ruling by the High Court of Justice in Madrid suspending the enforcement of Spain’s Minister of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 Pablo Bustinduy’s illegal ruling on cabin baggage and the €107 million fine imposed on Ryanair last May.
This ruling upholds Ryanair’s right under EU law to offer its customers the freedom to choose, and pay for, the baggage they wish to take on board, in addition to the free bag to be placed under the seat that all Ryanair passengers carry on board free of charge. The Madrid Court has stated that ‘the dispute between the parties is certainly very complex, and it is not considered that significant harm would be caused to the general interest if the present proceedings were to continue with the charging of those fees, especially since this practice has been in place for years and regulatory instruments are even being developed within the European Union itself on whether or not such charges are possible’.
Pablo Bustinduy has illegally attempted to interfere with and restrict the freedom of airlines to set prices for optional baggage, demanding that all cabin baggage be free of charge (even if it does not fit in the aircraft cabin), which would increase fares for all passengers. Ryanair’s baggage policy is fully compliant with EU law, transparent and consumer-friendly, as demonstrated by Ryanair’s position as Europe’s and Spain’s No. 1 airline.
Michael O’Leary, Ryanair CEO, said: “The Spanish courts have correctly upheld EU law, which protects the freedom of all EU airlines to set our own prices, a fundamental right guaranteed by Regulation (EC) 1008/2008. The Court has also upheld the right of all Spanish passengers to choose how much cabin baggage they wish to carry and pay for, in addition to Ryanair’s “free bag”, which exceeds the dimensions set by the EU
"With over €10 billion invested in Spain, Ryanair contributes over €24 billion to the country’s GDP and supports over 10,000 direct jobs for pilots, cabin crew and engineers. Given the current political climate in Spain, Minister Bustinduy has far more pressing matters to attend to than interfering with low-cost air travel, a vital industry for the Spanish economy. We now urge Minister Bustinduy to respect EU law and the needs of Spanish passengers and withdraw his illegal baggage fines."