Airline in Spain slapped with 28,000-euro fine for denying boarding to woman due to her attire

The State Aviation Safety Agency applied the sanction for violating industry legislation after the passenger was prevented from boarding the plane on the grounds that she was wearing a low-cut bodysuit and showing too much cleavage

SUR

Friday, 21 June 2024, 11:31

Following a complaint filed by the consumer association Facua, the Spanish Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) imposed a fine of 28,000 euros on the airline Vueling on Thursday. The reason? Not allowing a woman to board the plane on the grounds that she was wearing a low-cut bodysuit. "Sexism comes with a cost," the airline's users' association Facua said in a statement.

According to their account, the woman was about to board a Vueling flight from Mallorca to Barcelona when a handling crew member informed her that she would not be allowed on the flight due to her attire. "Despite the fact that several passengers urged the handling agent to let her on the plane, the company left her on the ground," it said.

¡FLIPAD! Machismo: Vueling, multada con 28.000 euros tras la denuncia de FACUA por negar el embarque a una mujer por su escote https://t.co/9GR1xOhkPZ
— FACUA (@FACUA) June 20, 2024

"Facua warned that this was a discriminatory practice with sexist overtones and recalled that no regulation expressly prohibits the admission of passengers on the basis of their clothing, as long as it does not go against public order," they continued.

In response to the behaviour of the airline staff, the association reported the incident to AESA, believing that the woman's rights had been violated by "discriminating against her for her manner of dress, leaving her completely defenceless in front of the passengers."

The incident occurred in 2019 and the sanctioning process was resolved in October 2020, although the association has only been informed of the outcome of its complaint recently. The information was obtained after requesting it through the transparency portal of the general state administration.

In its decision, the ASEA fined the airline 28,000 euros for having infringed several articles of the Aviation Safety Act 21/2003 of 7 July 2003 concerning infringements of civil aviation safety. Additionally, it found violations of Articles 14.2 and 4 in relation to Articles 7, 8, and 9 of Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and Council, of February 11, 2004, which establishes common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation, or long delay of flights, and repeals Regulation (EEC) No 295/91.

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