easyJet has welcomed the precautionary suspension of sanctions against Ryanair, Norwegian and Vueling by the High Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM), highlighting that it is a decision that ‘protects free competition and consumer choice in Spain’. At the end of 2024, the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 announced fines for five airlines for possible abusive practices. easyJet was fined 29 million euros.
In a statement, the British low-cost airline’s general manager for Southern Europe, Javier Gándara, defended the fact that being able to fly with only a small piece of hand luggage on board at the lowest price is ‘a key pillar’ of its model, adding that ‘it is backed by European regulations’. He stressed that since introducing its current policy, it has managed to speed up boarding and reduce delays.
“Before its implementation, excess hand luggage was the third leading cause of delays on our flights in 2019, with nearly 7.5 million bags having to be taken from the boarding gate or on board to the hold.
In 2023, delays due to this cause were reduced by 94%,“ he explained.
For Gándara, the proposal in Spain to make large carry-on luggage free of charge would not only upset the competitive balance in the sector, but could also make tickets more expensive for millions of passengers.
The airline has therefore urged the Consumer Affairs Ministry to ‘reconsider this penalty and align itself with the rest of Europe’, respecting EU rules that ‘have made possible the low-cost air travel model enjoyed by millions of people today’.