Italy's competition watchdog (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato - AGCM) has slapped a EUR255.8 million euro (USD302 million) fine on Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) and its parent Ryanair Holdings for violating competition rules by blocking travel agents from booking tickets on its website.

"The authority found that Ryanair put in place an elaborate strategy affecting the ability of online and traditional travel agencies to purchase Ryanair flights on ryanair.com. In particular, the company’s strategy blocked, hindered or made such purchases more difficult and/or economically or technically burdensome when combined with flights operated by other carriers and/or other tourism and insurance services," the regulator said.

The AGCM explained that it had established that the LCC engaged in this conduct, deemed illegal, from April 2023 until "at least" April 2025. It identified three stages of Ryanair's actions, all of which limited travel agents' access to its inventory.

"At first, Ryanair rolled out facial recognition procedures on its website aimed at users who purchased their ticket through a travel agency. Then, at the end of 2023, when the authority’s investigation was underway, Ryanair totally or intermittently blocked booking attempts by travel agencies on its website (for example, by blocking payment methods and mass-deleting accounts linked to OTA bookings). In a third phase of its strategy, in early 2024, Ryanair imposed partnership agreements on online travel agents and, subsequently, Travel Agent Direct accounts on traditional agencies, containing terms that restricted agencies from offering Ryanair flights in combination with other services," the investigation revealed.

The AGCM also pointed out Ryanair's "aggressive communication campaign against" online travel agencies that did not sign the partnership agreement. The LCC continues to label such agencies "pirate OTAs".

In April 2025, the airline launched a white-label solution allowing API integration with travel agents, "which, if properly implemented, make it possible to restore effective competition in the downstream market for tourism services."

The LCC immediately said it would appeal what it called a "bizarre/unsound ruling".

"Ryanair has fought for many years for transparent pricing, and our approved OTA agreements (which have been agreed by almost every large OTA, with the notable exception of one Spanish OTA, who continues to overcharge its customers for flights and ancillary services) are manifestly and clearly pro-consumer," chief executive Michael O'Leary said in a press statement.

The airline recalled a 2024 Milan Court of Appeal ruling that dismissed a lawsuit brought by OTAs Lastminute and Viaggiare against Ryanair's agency partnership model. It pointed out that the court said its distribution model "undoubtedly benefit[s] consumers", was economically justified, and constituted the airline's legal "entrepreneurial choice".

The airline has long argued that distribution costs and commissions lead to higher fares, and that avoiding such additional expenses is an important part of Ryanair's low-fare product. The LCC also claims that OTAs have historically overcharged both for tickets and ancillary services, adding their own mark-up to the airline's prices.

"It is these OTAs and travel agents that the AGCM should be protecting consumers from. Today’s AGCM ruling cannot ignore and must respect the precedent January 2024 ruling of the Milan court, and the pro-consumer behaviour of Ryanair in every market in Italy in which we operate. Both we and our lawyers are confident that this flawed, gerrymandered AGCM ruling and its absurd EUR256 million fine will be overturned on appeal," O'Leary said.

Ryanair is currently by far the largest airline in Italy, with a 36.5% market share by scheduled departure capacity, ch-aviation data shows. It has a 50.3% market share by capacity on domestic routes. While the AGCM said this amounts to a "dominant" position, Ryanair called this claim "invented".

The fine amounts to 1.8% of Ryanair Holdings' consolidated annual revenues in the financial year ended March 31, 2025.