In a first-instance ruling, the Korneuburg Regional Court declared numerous additional fees charged by the airline Ryanair to be inadmissible. State Secretary Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig and AK President Renate Anderl praised this decision as an important victory for consumer protection. They emphasized that air travelers should not be burdened with hidden and unjustified costs.
Specifically, 15 Ryanair contract clauses were challenged, of which the court deemed 14 inadmissible. These included, among others, a fee of €25 for infants sitting on laps, €55 for check-in, and €15 for printing boarding passes. The judges argued that these fees were not clearly explained and objectively unjustified. In particular, the fee for printing boarding passes discriminated against older or less digitally savvy passengers.
Although the ruling is not yet final, as Ryanair has filed an appeal, the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection (BMASGPK) and the Association for Consumer Information (VKI) are calling on affected consumers to secure their payment receipts. If the ruling is upheld in the second instance, they could assert their claims against the airline. State Secretary Königsberger-Ludwig announced that she will continue the fight against non-transparent business practices to ensure fair market conditions for consumers.
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