Spain’s penalty to carriers for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations called ‘anti-consumer’

The boss of easyJet has denounced fines handed out to the airline and other budget carriers for charging passengers for hand luggage and seat reservations as “illegal” and warned the decision will make it more expensive to fly.

EasyJet was given a penalty of €29m (£24.2m) by Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry earlier this month, along with Ryanair, which received the largest fine of €108m, and other airlines including Vueling, Norwegian and Volotea.