News: Ryanair in fat fee row
Flights > News > # 1236 (01/04/2007)
Ryanair has announced controversial plans to introduce a “fat tax” for passengers weighing more than 20 stone.
From next April 1 passengers will be weighed when they check in and charged an extra £10 if they exceed the weight limit.
In an exclusive interview with Flightmapping.com, Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary, denied the airline was discriminating against larger members of society.
He said: “Our plans are actually the fairest way of dealing with the growing problem of accommodating overweight people on our flights. We already charge passengers to have baggage in the hold, so we felt that it was about time that we made people who carry extra baggage around their waist pay a bit more for the convenience.”
He added: “We also have to use extra fuel, adding unnecessarily to carbon dioxide emissions. We are already Europe's youngest and greenest airline, now we want to be Europe's leanest airline - this is something that fat cat Stelios can never do with Easyjet."
Ryanair is not the first airline to penalise obese customers. US carrier Southwest has a policy of making overweight passengers pay for a second seat.
Obesity rights groups have responded with outrage at Ryanair's plans. Former Olympic javelin champion, Fatima Whitbread, spokesperson for campaign group Fat and Fit, said: “Why do these corporate giants always pick on us? This fat fascism has to stop.”
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