Ryanair to appeal against Hungary’s ‘baseless’ consumer protection fine

Budget airline Ryanair said it would appeal to the courts after Hungary fined it for passing on the cost of a special business tax, worth 800 billion forints ($2.1 billion) in total, following a consumer protection investigation.

Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s government in May announced the special tax measure targeting “extra profits” earned by major banks, energy companies and other firms, aiming to plug budget holes created by a spending spree that helped him gain re-election in April.

“The consumer protection authority has found a breach of the law today, because the airline (Ryanair) has misled customers with its unfair business practice,” Justice Minister Judit Varga said in a Facebook post on Monday.

Ryanair said in an emailed response it would appeal against the 300 million forints ($780,000) fine which it had been levied.

“Ryanair … will immediately appeal any baseless fine raised by the Hungarian Consumer Protection Agency,” the email said. “No notice of any such fine has yet been received by Ryanair. If necessary, Ryanair will appeal this matter to the EU courts.”