Italy’s competition authority said on Tuesday it had fined low-cost airline Ryanair more than 255 million euros ($300 million) for allegedly abusing its dominant position to prevent travel agencies’ access to its services.
The move comes a day after the antitrust body fined US tech giant Apple 98 million euros, accusing it of abusing its dominant position in the mobile app market.
The AGCM said Irish carrier Ryanair used “an abusive strategy” that made it difficult for travel agencies to combine Ryanair flights with other services between 2023 and at least April 2025.
The strategy “aimed to block, hinder, complicate or make it more expensive (economically or technically) for travel agencies to purchase Ryanair flights on the ryanair.com website… whether in combination with flights offered by other airlines or other travel and insurance services,” the AGCM said.
“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.”
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Italy fined Ryanair three million euros in 2019 for its policy of charging passengers for cabin baggage. The fine was eventually overturned by an administrative court.
AFP
