“We are quite apart from the Council, mainly because there is distrust between our two institutions,” Novakov said, noting that the Parliament had voted on its first position on the proposal way back in 2014.
“And after these 11 years, they choose a procedure that is limiting our time for negotiations, which I don’t consider to be a really spirit of cooperation and friendship,” Novakov added.
The Parliament’s position also includes the right to carry on one piece of hand baggage weighing up to 7 kilograms for free, even on low-cost airlines, provided it remains “within the maximum dimensions of 100 cm (sum of length, width, and height).” Passengers would also be allowed to bring a small under-seat bag.
The Council wants to allow only one free one bag with maximum dimensions of 40 cm x 30 cm x 15 cm that can fit under the front seat. The Commission supports that idea, and on Oct. 8 launched an infringement proceeding against Spain for fining airlines that charge for larger carry-on bags.
Airlines are also opposed to the Parliament’s position.
“Political calls to impose ‘free’ cabin bags are entirely out of sync with passenger preferences,” said A4E, alleging that passengers prefer cheaper fares and the option to purchase extra bags rather than paying higher fares for a ticket that includes carry-on baggage.
The Parliament position also grants passengers the right to choose between a paper or digital boarding pass — a proposal in stark contrast with Ryanair’s recent announcement that all its passengers will have to show a digital ticket in the airline’s official app as of Nov. 12.
This article has been updated with Tuesday’s reaction.