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Italy Fines Ryanair €255.8 Million for Abusing Market Power Over OTA Sales

The carrier plans an immediate appeal citing a Milan court ruling that endorsed its direct‑sales model.

Overview

  • Italy’s antitrust regulator said Ryanair abused a dominant position from April 2023 through at least April 2025 by restricting online and traditional agencies’ access to its fares.
  • Investigators cited tactics including facial recognition checks on third‑party bookings, blocking payment methods and accounts, imposing restrictive partnership terms, and publicly pressuring non‑partner OTAs.
  • The authority concluded these measures curtailed agencies’ ability to bundle Ryanair flights with other airlines or services, narrowing competition and consumer choice.
  • AGCM assessed Ryanair as dominant in passenger services to and from Italy, pointing to high market shares and other indicators of significant market power.
  • Ryanair rejected the findings as legally flawed, disputed the dominance assessment, noted it offered an API/white‑label integration from April 2025, and said lawyers have been instructed to appeal immediately.