Spain fines airlines €179m for cabin bag charges

The Spanish government has fined five European budget airlines a total of €179 million for “abusive” practices, such as charging passengers for larger items of cabin baggage.

Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Norwegian and Volotea have all been fined by Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs for their hand luggage charges, as well as for charging customers for adjacent seats when travelling with disabled people or children. The government said it intends to ban these practices by airlines.

The largest fine was for Ryanair at nearly €108 million, followed by Vueling (€39.3 million) and easyJet (€29 million). The fines were much lower for Norwegian and Volotea at €1.6 million and €1.2 million respectively. 

Spanish minister…