business
Italy Punishes Ryanair with $300M Fine for Blocking Agencies
Italy Fines Ryanair $300 Million for Anti-Competitive Practices
Italy’s competition authority imposed a fine of more than 255 million euros ($300 million) on Ryanair, accusing the low-cost airline of using its dominant market position to block travel agencies from combining its flights with other services.
The regulator said Ryanair made it more difficult and expensive for agencies to offer bundled services, reducing competition. This penalty follows a recent fine on Apple for similar anti-competitive behavior in the mobile app market. Ryanair had previously been fined in 2019 over baggage policies, though that fine was later overturned.
The authority emphasized that the airline’s actions harmed both consumers and competitors, preventing agencies from effectively competing in the travel market.
