The Superior Court of Justice of Madrid has accepted the precautionary measures requested by Ryanair and Norwegian Air, suspending the fines imposed by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the Agenda Two Thousand and Thirty. The court required both airlines to provide bank guarantees, with Ryanair needing to secure one hundred ten million euros and Norwegian Air one point eight million euros.

These fines, originally issued on the twenty-first of November twenty twenty-four, amount to over one hundred seven million euros for Ryanair and one point six million euros for Norwegian Air, largely due to practices such as charging for hand luggage and failing to allow cash payments for additional services. The total sanction from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs reaches one hundred seventy-nine million euros, affecting additional airlines such as Volotea, Vueling, and EasyJet, which have also appealed.

The Minister for Social Rights, Pablo Bustinduy, reiterated that charging for hand luggage is illegal and expressed that the suspension of the fines is normal in a state governed by law. He emphasised that these airlines can continue such practices until the court resolves the matter definitively. The Minister pointed out that the European Parliament Transport and Tourism Committee has recently advocated for passengers’ rights to carry luggage for free, a proposal that may become part of legislation pending finalisation.

The Airlines Association has noted that the court’s decision reflects doubts regarding the sanctions, arguing that these restrictions contradict European regulations which allow companies to set their own pricing for services. They assert that the fines limit consumer choice and disrupt the single market. Approximately fifty million people benefit from the basic fares of airlines daily, and the imposition of such sanctions could potentially disadvantage them compared to neighbouring countries where similar practices remain legal.