Overview
- Italy’s competition authority has closed its A568 probe and is slated to issue a decision on December 22 after hearings and filings concluded this month.
- Investigators allege abuse of dominance through measures that hinder agencies from selling Ryanair tickets, including facial verification, an automatic booking block system called Shield, and onerous distribution terms.
- The authority cites Ryanair’s large Italian presence, with shares reported between roughly 38% and 50% on domestic and European routes, to support a finding of dominance.
- Any sanction could include corrective orders that open ticket intermediation to travel agencies, an outcome experts describe as unusual, alongside a fine estimated between €500 million and €1 billion based on Italian revenues.
- Ryanair rejects the allegations as a misrepresentation, argues the checks and blocks target fraud and security risks, cites a 2024 Milan appellate ruling on direct sales, and signals court appeals if penalized.