‘Lunatic’ new EU baggage rule proposal will drive up prices in France, says Easyjet boss
Proposed EU rules would give all airline passengers the right to an extra free cabin bag
The change would allow passengers to bring a 'personal item', such as a handbag or laptop bag, plus a piece of hand luggage weighing up to 7kg, free of charge
Alexandra Adele/Shutterstock
EasyJet’s chief executive has launched a blunt attack on proposed EU rules that would give all airline passengers the right to an extra free cabin bag, warning that fares would rise and flights from France would be more prone to delays.
Kenton Jarvis said the European parliament-backed plan was a “lunatic idea” and “crazy European legislation” that ignored the practical limits of aircraft cabins.
The proposal, approved by MEPs on January 21, form part of a wider package intended to strengthen passenger rights and would apply to all EU-based airlines flying to or from EU airports.
The change would allow passengers to bring a “personal item”, such as a handbag or laptop bag, plus a piece of hand luggage weighing up to 7kg, free of charge.
This allowance would be more generous than the current free cabin-bag rules on most low-cost airlines.
Mr Jarvis said aircraft simply could not cope. Only some 65% of passengers’ luggage can be accommodated if a full-size cabin bag, he said, meaning the rest would have to be removed at the gate and placed in the hold.
Manual offloading of bags was previously “the number one cause of delayed boarding”, before airlines began charging for cabin luggage.
“The idea we have to put people by the gate to pull bags is going back in time,” he said. “There just is not the space in the cabin. It is terrible for the consumer.”
Increase in prices
He also warned that free cabin bags would not benefit passengers overall.
EasyJet currently earns a significant share of its income from optional extras, including luggage. If those charges were banned, the cost would be spread across all tickets, pushing up base fares for everyone, including those travelling light.
The European Council must still approve the proposals before they become law, and discussions are ongoing.
However, Mr Jarvis said any change would almost certainly be applied consistently across easyJet’s fleet, including its extensive French network, and would risk undermining low fares and operational efficiency across Europe.
The proposed change follows a recent EU ruling on the status of pets as luggage.
EasyJet operates around 50 routes between France and the UK and has six main bases in France, focusing on larger airports rather than smaller regional hubs.
By contrast, rival Ryanair has announced further cuts to French services in summer 2026, citing higher aviation taxes.
