Italian competition watchdog (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato - AGCM) has launched a probe into Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) to check whether the recent changes in the low-cost carrier's hand baggage policy violate passengers' rights, AFP has reported.
The AGCM said that hand luggage is an "essential item" for passengers and they should be allowed to take it on board with them for free.
The probe was launched after the ACGM had received multiple complaints from individual passengers and consumer rights associations.
According to the recently announced policy, which will go into effect on November 1, 2018, all Ryanair passengers are entitled to one free hand luggage. However, passengers who did not book priority treatment are limited to a single hand luggage smaller than the industry standard. If they want to take a standard hand luggage with them, they need to check it in for a reduced fee in comparison to larger checked luggage.
