Jurídicos y Administrativos

✈ Air Canada charges $25 for any carry-on luggage, except a purse or laptop, effective January 3. A second carry-on costs $36, or $46 if paid at the airport. This policy led to a meeting between the Transport Minister, Anita Anand, and the CEOs of Air Canada and WestJet. In the U.S., Spirit and Frontier paid $26 million to employees between 2022 and 2023 for collecting additional fees from passengers, with Frontier employees earning up to $10 per bag and Spirit employees receiving $5 per infringement. Spirit is currently bankrupt.

🗣 Javier Hidalgo, former CEO of Globalia, will not testify for alleged false testimony in the 'caso Koldo' as requested by popular accusation Liberum, decided by the National High Court's Criminal Chamber, confirming judge Ismael Moreno's decision. The Supreme Court's doctrine states false testimony requires the statements to be essential, which did not apply to Hidalgo's case. Liberum accused Hidalgo of lying in his September 12 declaration about his knowledge of a commercial relationship between Koldo García and Víctor de Aldama.

🏖️ On 11th December in Spain, new regulations since 2nd December require accommodation companies, vehicle rentals, and travel agencies to report over 40 client data points to the Ministry of Interior, with 1.4 million data reported in the first week, prompting legal action considerations by tourism associations. Alicante and Málaga lead with the highest number of tourist homes available online, totaling 44,615 and 44,365 respectively, reflecting a 16% growth from last year. Disney's Florida parks to close several attractions in 2025, to modernize facilities, with uncertain reopening dates for some, such as Epcot's Test Track.

📌 Since December 2, a controversial traveler data registry in Spain has transferred 1.4 million traveler data points to the Ministry of Interior, 48.7% during the Constitution holiday. It affects accommodation, vehicle rental, and travel agencies, which must communicate over 40 client data points to law enforcement. The Passenger Name Record (PNR) system introduced in 2016 is a similar EU-wide obligation for airlines. PNR data are stored for 5 years, initially masked after 6 months. Spain was delayed in adopting PNR, facing a European Commission ultimatum in January 2019.

✈ The ACAVE and ECTAA, after a UE Council of Transport meeting on December 5, demand better passenger protections against airline bankruptcies. An EU study noted roughly one airline ceases operations monthly. From 2011-2019, 87 airlines went bankrupt, affecting 5.6 million consumers; 160 airlines stopped globally between 2019-2022, half in Europe. ACAVE President Jordi Martí supports Spain's push for regulation reform after a decade of inaction.

🚩 Delegada de Turismo Marta Rivera de la Cruz criticized Minister Jordi Hereu on Sunday for neglecting the tourism sector. Hereu, accused of inaction and ignoring industry pleas, is controversially invited to a tourism forum by CEOE and Mesa de Turismo on the 17th. Critics like Rivera de la Cruz and industry leaders Juan Molas and Juan Cierco question the benefit of involving Hereu, reflecting on past disappointments with government support for tourism.

✈ LATAM, the leading airline in Latin America with headquarters in Chile and Brazil, originated from the merger of Lan Chile and Tam of Brazil. It has subsidiaries LATAM Perú, LATAM Colombia, and LATAM Ecuador. The company faced challenges in Argentina due to government interference, leading to the closure of LATAM Argentina. Recently, LATAM signed a code-sharing agreement with Aerolíneas Argentinas, positioning itself favorably for a potential privatization of the latter, which had been privatized earlier this century and then renationalized, resulting in significant investor losses.

🏖️ The Canarian Parliament debates a tax on tourist stays, proposed by the socialist group, aiming to impose a fee of €2 to €3.50 depending on accommodation type, rivaling rates in Baleares and Cataluña. The regional government opposes, citing potential unconstitutionality if excluding Canarian residents, a violation of non-discrimination principles. The opposition warns of the risk of double taxation with IGIC. The PSOE justifies the tax for covering tourism costs, noting tourism's 35% contribution to GDP against a mere 15% to the fiscal budget. Mogán municipality has enacted a 0.15 euro per night ecotax, deemed illegal by experts.

🛸 On December 8, 2024, passengers on Volaris flight 3041 from Bajío to Tijuana subdued a man, Mario “N”, who attempted to hijack the plane 30 minutes after takeoff from León, Guanajuato. The individual, traveling with his family, sought asylum in the US due to criminal threats. An emergency landing was made in Guadalajara, and the perpetrator was handed to the National Guard. Volaris aims to take legal action and confirms all passengers, crew, and the aircraft are safe.

📊 Javier Hidalgo, former CEO of Globalia, attended the Senate investigation commission of the 'Koldo case' after the PP warned him that failing to appear could lead to six months to a year in prison or a twelve to twenty-four-month fine. Hidalgo had tried to delay his appearance until the day before, seeking to testify via videoconference. He attempted to avoid in-person attendance due to a flight diversion to New York from Los Angeles caused by a medical emergency on board. Despite being sought for months and having missed two previous appointments, Hidalgo only read a statement at the commission, refusing to answer questions, and acknowledged having met Begoña Gómez several times.