Italy is tired of Ryanair's monopoly, what this means for passengers 0 7

The Italian antitrust regulator has imposed a fine of €255.7 million on the Irish airline Ryanair for "abusing its dominant position" in the market and obstructing the activities of travel agencies and intermediaries.

According to a press release from the antitrust authority, since 2022, the low-cost carrier has implemented a "complex strategy" aimed at preventing or complicating travel agencies from purchasing tickets on its website.

Initially, Ryanair introduced a "facial recognition system for end users of tickets purchased through an agency on its website," affecting the activities of intermediaries. Since 2023, it has been mass deleting accounts associated with travel agencies or blocking their payment methods.

The Irish company also imposed partnership agreements on agencies, restricting the ability to offer Ryanair flights alongside additional travel services, insurance, or flights from other airlines. According to the antitrust authority, agencies that did not sign these agreements were subjected to an "aggressive communication campaign," and Ryanair periodically blocked their bookings on the website.

According to the Italian regulator, Ryanair holds a dominant position in the market for regular passenger air transport in Italy, which has given the airline significant market power. This, in turn, has allowed the company to operate largely independently of competitors and consumers. Only in April 2025 did Ryanair make an IT integration application system available to online travel agencies, which could restore effective competition in the tourism services market.

In addition to the fine, the antitrust authority has required the airline to cease all "anti-competitive actions" and refrain from repeating them in the future.