Overview
- Antitrust officials said Ryanair pursued a multi‑phase strategy from April 2023 to at least April 2025 that hindered agencies’ ability to sell and bundle its flights.
- Tactics cited included facial‑recognition checks on third‑party bookings, blocking payments and deleting agency accounts, and forcing restrictive partnership agreements while publicly pressuring non‑signatory OTAs.
- The authority concluded these measures reduced competition by limiting agencies’ ability to combine Ryanair flights with other airlines and travel services, narrowing consumer choice.
- AGCM assessed Ryanair as holding a dominant position in passenger air services to and from Italy, noting its status as the country’s largest carrier with roughly a third of the market.
- Ryanair called the ruling “bizarre” and “unsound,” said its agency agreements are pro‑consumer, pointed to an April 2025 white‑label/API opening noted by the regulator, and instructed lawyers to appeal immediately.