EUROPEAN officials voted yesterday to ban airline carry-on luggage fees to avoid “unjustified extra costs” for passengers.
An amendment on air passenger rights was approved by the European Parliament transport committee on Tuesday, in a boost for passenger rights.
The proposal would allow passengers to carry-on hand luggage weighing up to 7kg without paying extra charges.
The new rule – if confirmed in negotiations with EU governments – would also allow travellers to bring a personal item into the cabin, such as a backpack or handbag.
And it comes in a move strongly opposed by the aviation sector.
Airline companies have warned the new measure would force the sector to increase flight tickets, even for passengers travelling with minimal luggage.
Many low-cost airlines across Europe already include only one small-board item in the ticket without charging an extra fee.
In a statement before yesterday’s vote, Ourania Georgoutsakou, managing director of the Airlines for Europe (A4E) said: “Europe’s airline market is built on choice.
“Forcing a mandatory trolley bag strips passengers of that choice and obliges passengers to pay for services they may not want or need.”
She continued: “What’s next? Mandatory popcorn and drinks as part of your cinema ticket?
“The European Parliament should let travellers decide what services they want, what services they pay for and, importantly, what services they don’t.”
The new measure would apply to all flights departing or arriving within the 27-nation European Union.
And it was adopted as part of amendments to passenger rights rules.
It was proposed by the Socialist and Democrats MEP Matteo Ricci in 2023 to strengthen the enforcement of air passenger rights.
He said that the new rule sought to spare passengers of “unjustified extra costs.”
And the transport committee has also voted to introduce a common form for compensation and refund claims as well as a defined list of extraordinary circumstances, such as war or natural disaster.
The proposals will go to a vote by the Council of the European Union.
