Italy fines Ryanair €255 million: why the low-cost airline was punished
23 December 2025 15:05
The Italian competition regulator Italian Competition Authority has imposed a fine of EUR 255.8 million on Ryanair and its parent Ryanair Holdings plc. The company was found guilty of abusing its dominant position in the air transportation market from and to Italy. This was reported by the press service of the Italian antitrust authority, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
The decision was made following an investigation that covered the period from April 2023 to at least April 2025.
What Ryanair was accused of
The antimonopoly authority found that Ryanair, having a dominant position in the market of scheduled passenger air transportation from and to Italy (including domestic and European routes), deliberately complicated the work of travel agencies.
We are talking about:
- online travel agencies (OTAs),
- and traditional travel agencies that use Ryanair flights as part of travel packages.
According to the regulator, Ryanair’s share is 38-40% of all passengers transported on routes from/to Italy. This, along with the company’s financial strength and scale, allowed the low-cost airline to operate almost independently of competitors and consumers.
How Ryanair put pressure on agencies
The investigation showed that at the end of 2022, Ryanair began to develop a strategy to restrict agencies’ access to its flights, and in April 2023, it began to implement it.
The main stages of this strategy:
Spring 2023
Facial recognition procedures were introduced on the ryanair.com website for customers who purchased tickets through agencies.
End of 2023
The company fully or partially blocked bookings made by agencies:
- disconnected payment methods,
- massively deleted accounts associated with OTAs.
Early 2024
Ryanair began to impose partnership agreements:
- OTAs – through special agreements,
- and traditional agencies through Travel Agent Direct accounts.
The terms of these agreements prohibited combining Ryanair flights with other airlines or travel services.
Pressure and public attacks
To “convince” agencies, Ryanair:
- periodically blocked bookings,
- launched aggressive information campaigns,
- publicly called unsigned OTAs “pirate agencies”.
What changed in 2025
Only in April 2025, Ryanair opened a full-fledged white-label iFrame solution for OTAs, which allows the integration of IT interfaces (APIs).
The regulator notes that only after the introduction of APIs did it become possible to restore real competition in the travel services market.
Implications for the market and consumers
The Italian Competition Authority concluded that Ryanair’s actions:
- limited the sales of travel agencies;
- deprived OTAs of Internet traffic;
- prevented combining Ryanair flights with other airlines and services;
- reduced competition;
- led to a deterioration in the quality and choice of travel services for consumers.
These factors led to one of the largest fines in the history of Italian antitrust regulation.
What’s next
The decision was made on December 23, 2025 in Rome. The full text of the decision has been published by the regulator. Ryanair has the right to appeal, but the fine is enforceable unless the court decides otherwise.
Read also: Ryanair will punish passengers for violations – up to 500 euros fine
By the end of the year, Ryanair forecasts a record 207 million passengers carried.
What you need to know about Ryanair
Ryanair Holdings plc is the largest low-cost airline in Europe, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1984 as a small regional carrier, the company has grown to become one of the pioneers and leaders of the low-cost segment in Europe.
Ryanair’s business model is based on the principle of a minimum ticket price with most additional services paid separately. Passengers have the opportunity to fly at low fares, but pay for baggage, seat selection, meals, and other services. This approach has allowed the airline to significantly increase passenger traffic and revenue.
The company’s fleet includes more than 570 Boeing 737 aircraft, and it plans to significantly upgrade it in the coming years. Ryanair operates flights to more than 40 countries in Europe and North Africa.
The airline is known for its aggressive marketing strategy and strict baggage policies. The airline’s CEO Michael O’Leary actively promotes a policy of savings and additional fees, which often draws criticism but ensures stable profits.
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