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The country's competition authority announced the penalty against the budget airline for what it called an "abusive strategy" to block online travel agents from selling its tickets. The regulator claims Ryanair deliberately hindered agencies like Booking.com and eDreams to force customers to book directly.
"Ryanair implemented a complex strategy to block, hinder, or make it more difficult and/or economically or technically expensive for travel agencies" to purchase flights, the authority said in a statement. Ryanair immediately fired back at the decision.
CEO Michael O'Leary called the ruling "bizarre" and "unsound," promising the airline would appeal. He described the fine as an "affront to consumer protection," arguing that the regulator had been misled by "self-serving" travel agents.
"The competition authority cannot be trusted to protect consumers," O'Leary argued, claiming the decision ignores a previous 2024 Milan court ruling that found the airline's direct distribution model actually protected passengers from hidden fees.
The investigation found Ryanair used technical barriers to stop third-party sales. Regulators noted that in mid-2023, the airline introduced invasive facial recognition procedures for passengers who booked through agents. By the end of the year, the carrier allegedly began blocking payment methods and mass-deleting accounts linked to travel agencies.
The authority also stated that Ryanair launched an aggressive communications campaign designed to discredit the booking sites, labeling them as "pirates."
This ruling strikes a major blow in one of the airline's most critical markets. Ryanair carries between 38 and 40 percent of all air traffic to and from Italy. The country represents a massive chunk of the group's revenue, bringing in nearly €3 billion in the financial year ending March 31, 2025.
Relations with the Italian government have been tense in recent years. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's administration previously clashed with the carrier over sharply raised fares during the peak summer season.
