No-frills airline plans to appeal the decision, saying the fine was unjust
Ryanair plane. Photo: PA
Ryanair has been fined €256m by Italy’s competition watchdog for allegedly using an “abusive strategy” to hinder third-party travel agencies.
The regulator claimed in its ruling that the low-cost airline deliberately made it difficult for agencies to buy flights on its website between April 2023 and at least April this year.
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) said: “Following a complex investigation, the authority found that Ryanair put in place an elaborate strategy affecting the ability of online and traditional travel agencies to purchase Ryanair flights on ryanair.com.
“In particular, the company’s strategy blocked, hindered or made such purchases more difficult … when combined with flights operated by other carriers and/or other tourism and insurance services.”
It added: “These practices compromised the ability of agencies to purchase Ryanair flights and combine them with flights from other airlines and/or additional travel services, thereby reducing direct and indirect competition between agencies.”
Ryanair said it would appeal the ruling and the fine, which it said was unjustly levied: “Ryanair has campaigned for many years to offer consumers the lowest fares by booking directly on the ryanair.com website.
“This direct distribution model was ruled to ‘undoubtedly benefit consumers’ by the Milan court as recently as January 2024.”
Ryanair’s chief executive, Michael O’Leary, branded the ruling “legally unsound”.
He said: “This AGCM ruling is an affront to the precedent Milan court ruling, and also an affront to consumer protection and competition law.
“Ryanair has grown rapidly in Italy, and in many other markets across Europe, by always offering the lowest air fares in every single market in which we operate.
“This legally baseless AGCM ruling, and its absurd €256m fine, undermines consumer protection and competition law, and it will be overturned on appeal.”
Italy fined Ryanair €3m in 2019 for its policy of charging passengers for cabin baggage, but that penalty was later overturned by an administrative court.
Online travel agency eDreams Odigeo welcomed the ruling and called for an industry-wide investigation. Guillaume Teissonniere, its general counsel, said: “This the latest in a mounting series of binding decisions across Europe that Ryanair has consistently chosen to ignore.
“This corporate culture of complete disregard for the law must end.”