EasyJet has described European Union proposals to mandate free additional cabin baggage for all passengers as a 'lunatic idea', warning that the legislation would lead to higher fares and flight delays. The European Parliament last week voted overwhelmingly to give passengers the right to carry on a small case weighing up to 7kg, in addition to a free underseat bag.
Kenton Jarvis, EasyJet's chief executive, said the proposals would be 'terrible for the consumer' and 'crazy European legislation'. He argued that there is insufficient cabin space, which would result in bags being offloaded into the hold, causing boarding delays reminiscent of previous practices. The changes, if ratified by the European Council, would apply to all passengers travelling to or from an EU airport on an EU-based airline, affecting most short-haul flights from the UK.
Jarvis noted that bag charges constitute a significant portion of EasyJet's ancillary revenue, which exceeded £2.5 billion annually. He warned that any loss of this income would have to be passed on to all passengers through fare increases. The airline was recently reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority for claiming luggage costs as low as £5.99, a ruling Jarvis described as 'irritating'.
On other matters, Jarvis confirmed that EasyJet is in talks with Starlink about offering in-flight wifi but has concluded that the economics are not currently viable. He also addressed the airline's increased pre-tax loss of £93 million for the last quarter, up 50% year-on-year, attributing it partly to investment in new bases at Milan Linate and Rome Fiumicino airports.
