Vueling Airlines v. Secretary of State (Spain) - Web Accessibility

First major private-sector enforcement case in Spain directly linked to European accessibility requirements, holding airline liable for inaccessible website.

Settled

Case Information

Plaintiff

Secretary of State for Social Rights (Spain)

Defendant

Vueling Airlines

Date Filed

January 1, 2023

Date Resolved

March 31, 2024

Settlement Amount

€90,000 fine plus 6-month public funding prohibition

Jurisdiction

Spain (National Court / Audiencia Nacional)

Case Number

Contentious-Administrative Chamber

WCAG Level

Level AA

Case Details

Spain's National Court (Audiencia Nacional) ruled against Vueling Airlines for maintaining an inaccessible website, finding violation of Royal Legislative Decree 1/2013 (General Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). Case significance: - First major Spanish private-sector enforcement case for web accessibility - Occurred before European Accessibility Act (EAA) enforcement deadline - Demonstrated Spain's proactive enforcement of accessibility requirements - Court noted minimal progress despite previous 2016 inspection/sanction Accessibility issues: - Website not WCAG compliant - Screen reader incompatibility - Missing alt text for images - Non-functional keyboard navigation - Form accessibility barriers Penalty structure: - €90,000 fine (significant for private company) - 6-month prohibition from receiving public funds from Secretary of State for Social Rights - Requirement to remediate website accessibility within specified timeframe - Continued monitoring obligations Legal context: - Case anticipated European Accessibility Act (EAA) June 28, 2025 enforcement deadline - Demonstrated that accessibility compliance would be enforced with penalties - Set precedent for Spanish private-sector liability

Accessibility Issues Identified

Inaccessible website
Screen reader incompatibility
Missing alt text
Keyboard navigation failures
Form accessibility barriers

Key Takeaways

European countries enforcing web accessibility before EAA deadline
Private companies liable for website accessibility violations
Penalties include both fines and business operation restrictions
Previous non-compliance increases enforcement scrutiny
EAA likely to intensify enforcement across EU

Impact

This case demonstrates that European enforcement of web accessibility is not theoretical. Organizations operating in the EU face real consequences for non-compliance, and this will likely intensify significantly following EAA enforcement deadlines.

Official References & Court Documents

Links to official court documents, government records, and legal references for this case

Official court documents and references are not currently available for this case.

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Case Details