Spain sanctions sixth low-cost airline for 'abusive practices'

The Spanish consumer affairs ministry has sanctioned a sixth low-cost airline for potential "abusive practices," such as charging for carry-on luggage or adding a cost to book next-to seats for people with disabilities or minors, as a statement from the ministry cites.

Politicians did not announce the name of the sixth sanctioned company, unlike last November, when they sanctioned five different airlines at once. Last time, the ministry fined Vueling, EasyJet, Norwegian, Volotea, and Ryanair a total of €179 million.

The company has also been sanctioned for "omitting deceptive information and lack of clarity" on their prices, both on their website and on third-party websites.

The General Consumer Directorate, in charge of the sanction, stated that fines vary between €10,001 and €100,000 if it is considered severe, or between €100,001 and €1,000,000 if very severe.

The ministry bases its decision on a ruling by the European Court of Justice from 2014 that bans airline companies from charging extra for carry-on luggage.

In November, Ryanair received the highest penalty of €107,775,777, followed by Vueling (€39,264,412), Easy jet (€29,094,441), Norwegian (€1,610,001), and Volotea (€1,189,000.99).