Ultra-low-cost airline Ryanair has come under fire for reportedly trying to charge two passengers $80 each to bring a pastry on board a flight.
The feud emerged when two passengers at Palma de Mallorca airport in Spain each tried to carry on an ensaïmada, a popular pastry on the island of Mallorca, along with their hand luggage.
The airline told the passengers the pastry was bought outside of duty-free, which meant it would now be classified as hand luggage.
But because they already had hand luggage, the airline reportedly demanded an additional $80 (€45) from each passenger to bring the pastries onboard, according to The Guardian.
At this point, the two passengers were facing the dilemma of paying $160 to bring the two ensaïmada onboard or ditching the pastry. They choose to chuck the bread out.
The airlines' decision to charge the passengers to bring the pastries onboard has sparked outrage among Spanish officials.
Iago Negueruela, the tourism minister of the Balearic Islands, called an "urgent meeting" with Ryanair and the local pastry makers association to discuss the charge.
Negeruela called the meeting "in order to defend local produce and avoid any kind of discrimination" and hoped the issue would be resolved soon.
The local pastry makers' association fears the rule change could dampen down sales for ensaïmada because visitors will no longer want to buy the pastry on the island to take them home with them.
The president of the local pastry makers' association believes it's unfair on local producers as passengers are allowed to take ensaïmada onboard if it's bought in duty-free.
He also claimed all other airlines allow ensaïmadas on board except for Ryanair.
"All the other airlines allow passengers to take two ensaïmadas on board," Magraner told The Guardian.
"It's only a problem with Ryanair, but we're talking about a lot of flights, especially to the Spanish mainland, which is the destination of most of the ensaïmadas."
Local Mallorcan politician Jaume Alzamora weighed in on the feud telling The Mirror Mallorcan products bought outside the airport should be allowed to be carried onboard without restrictions or extra costs for tourists.
"The aim is to defend Mallorcan products made in Mallorcan bakeries and pastry shops," he said.
The ensaïmada de Mallorca is made with strong flour, water, sugar, eggs, mother dough and a kind of reduced pork lard named saïm. The name of the pastry comes from the Spanish word saín, which means lard.
