RYANAIR HAS ANNOUNCED that it will appeal the ruling of a Spanish court, which last week found that its €40 charge for printing off new boarding cards is illegal, describing the finding as “bizarre and unlawful”.

Barcelona’s Commercial Court No. 1 last week found that the airline had no right to impose the €40 charge on passengers who came to an airport without their boarding cards printed off, saying Ryanair’s decision to move away from the “customary practice” where airlines themselves provide the boarding cards was “abusive”.

Today Ryanair said it had asked its Spanish lawyers to appeal the ruling, saying passengers who opted to check in online formed a contract with the airline, and arguing that when this contract was broken – as it was if a passenger arrived without having checked in – Ryanair had no obligation to allow them to fly.

The airline added that if its appeal was unsuccessful, it would drop the €40 (or £40) fee entirely – but it would stop any passenger without their boarding card from boarding their flight altogether.

Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara said the airline could not understand “how the Barcelona Commercial Court can reinterpret a contractual agreement freely entered into between 73m passengers and Ryanair, after the event.”

The Spanish case was taken by a lawyer who himself had objected to being fined for showing up for a flight without his boarding card already printed off.

While the appeal is heard, Ryanair will continue to operate its €40 charge.