- Ryanair reportedly tried to charge two passengers almost $100 to bring two small pastries onboard.
- The airline said the food exceeded their baggage limit, per The Guardian and The Mirror.
Ryanair reportedly tried to charge a couple almost $100 to bring two small pastries onboard, saying the food exceeded their baggage limit.
Citing the Balearics' tourism minister, Iago Negueruela, The Guardian reported that the airline wanted each passenger to pay €45, or $49, to travel with their ensaïmadas, a traditional Spanish pastry.
The couple was carrying the small snacks, along with their hand baggage on their flight from Palma de Mallorca airport, The Mirror reported. They eventually decided to ditch the snacks rather than pay the airline's fee.
Representatives for Ryanair did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the incident.
News of the airline's decision sparked anger among Spanish officials, per reports. Negueruela called the airline and the country's local pastry-makers association to a meeting to discuss the incident, according to the Guardian.
The news outlet reported that Negueruela said the meeting was called to "defend local produce and avoid any kind of discrimination."
Ensaïmadas originated in Mallorca in the Balearic Islands and are popular throughout Spain.
Ryanair, an ultra-low-cost carrier based in Ireland, was one of the first to start charging passengers for cabin-sized suitcases. Under the airline's rules, only priority passengers can bring a small bag and larger cabin bags on board. Adding this perk costs between €6 and €35.99, according to the airline's website.
Passengers on the low-cost airline were left frustrated earlier this year when staff accidentally locked them in a windowless airport corridor with no way out.