Italy’s competition authority (AGCM) has fined Ryanair more than €255 million ($300 million) for abusing its dominant position.
The regulator said the low-cost airline has blocked or restricted travel agencies from offering joint flights with other airlines or services.
The alleged practices began in 2023 and continued until “at least” April 2025.
Ryanair used ‘abusive tactics’
The AGCM said the company tried to prevent or complicate the ability of travel agents to purchase Ryanair flights on its website, whether alone or in conjunction with other airlines or services.
The agency described it as “an abusive tactic to disrupt travel agencies.”
“Ryanair has introduced a facial recognition process on its website for users who have purchased their tickets through a travel agency.” the authority said in a statement.
It said Europe’s largest budget airline “completely or intermittently blocked booking attempts by travel agencies on its website, for example, by blocking payment methods and mass deletion of accounts.”
According to the AGCM, this reduced competition and increased costs for consumers.
Ultimately, according to the Italian government watchdog, Ryanair “imposed partnership agreements” on online travel agencies (OTAs).
“To ‘persuade’ agencies to partner, Ryanair periodically blocked bookings and conducted an aggressive communication campaign against non-signatory OTAs, labeling them ‘pirate OTAs’,” the AGCM said.
Ryanair will appeal AGCM’s decision
The airline said it would fight the “bizarre/unusual” Italian fine.
“Ryanair has campaigned for many years to offer consumers the lowest fares by booking directly on the ryanair.com website.” said in a statement,
It said the direct distribution model was ruled to “undoubtedly benefit consumers” by a Milan court in January 2024.
“Ryanair has grown rapidly in Italy – and many other markets across Europe – by always offering the lowest airfares 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 will be overturned on appeal,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said.
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