Italy Fines Ryanair $300M for Abusing Market Dominance in Aviation

Italy’s antitrust authority has placed low-cost giant Ryanair under the spotlight once again. The agency has issued a hefty fine for alleged abuse of market dominance.

Beyond the legal wrangling, the case matters deeply for anyone planning a trip to Italy. This is especially true for travelers who rely on online agencies and dynamic flight-plus-hotel packages to reach destinations like the Italian Riviera.

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Ryanair Hit With a €255 Million Fine in Italy

Italy’s competition watchdog, the Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (AGCM), has fined Ryanair more than €255 million (around $300 million). The authority concluded that the airline pursued an “abusive strategy” that distorted competition in the Italian travel market.

The practices under investigation occurred from 2023 through at least April 2025. They centered on how travel agencies could (or could not) access and sell Ryanair flights.

What the Italian Antitrust Authority Found

According to the AGCM, Ryanair made it difficult—or more expensive—for travel agencies to buy tickets and related services through its website. This allegedly went beyond simple commercial policy and tipped into abuse of a dominant position on certain routes and price segments.

The authority highlighted several key concerns:

Restricted access for agencies: Travel agencies reportedly faced obstacles when trying to book directly on Ryanair’s site or connect via intermediaries.

Barriers to packaged offers: It was allegedly harder to combine Ryanair flights with other airlines, hotels, insurance products, car rentals, or tours.

Reduced competition: By limiting agencies’ flexibility, Ryanair is said to have undermined both direct competition (between agencies) and indirect competition (between agencies and the airline itself).

The AGCM argued that these tactics harmed the broader travel services ecosystem. This affected not just agencies but also consumers who rely on them to create complete travel experiences.

A Pattern of Scrutiny for Ryanair in Italy

This isn’t Ryanair’s first brush with Italian regulators. In 2019, the airline was fined €3 million over controversial cabin baggage charges, although that penalty was later overturned by an administrative court.

The latest decision also comes in a broader context of tech and travel oversight. Just one day earlier, Apple was fined €98 million in Italy for allegedly abusing dominance in the mobile app market.

What This Means for Travelers Booking Italy Trips

For travelers, the core issue is choice. When a major low-cost airline limits how agencies can sell its flights, the result can be fewer options on comparison sites, weaker package deals, and less transparent pricing.

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If agencies cannot easily bundle Ryanair flights with hotels, rail passes, or local services, travelers may have to piece together itineraries manually. This can be particularly relevant when planning complex journeys involving multiple airlines or multi-stop routes.

That can matter when you’re planning to hop between coastal towns or combine flights with train and ferry connections.

Planning Ahead: How to Book Smart in the Current Climate

Until Ryanair’s practices adapt—or are confirmed on appeal—savvy travelers should adopt a mixed booking strategy. Use both direct airline sites and trusted travel agencies.

Practical Tips for Navigating Flights and Packages

To protect both your wallet and your flexibility when traveling to and within Italy, consider the following:

Compare on multiple platforms: Use online travel agencies to scan the market, then cross-check fares on the airline’s official site.

Price full itineraries, not just flights: A slightly more expensive flight can become cheaper overall if it comes in a bundle with hotel and transfers.

Watch fees and add-ons: Low base fares often hide costs for luggage, seat selection, and payment methods—factor these into your comparisons.

Look at alternative airports: Around Italy’s major hubs, smaller airports can offer interesting connections, especially with low-cost carriers.

Why This Matters for Italian Riviera Travelers

For anyone dreaming of the Italian Riviera—those sunlit, pastel-hued towns strung along the Ligurian coast—the way airlines and agencies interact can subtly shape your trip. Many visitors fly into larger hubs and then connect by train or regional flights before arriving at the sea.

Classic gateways include cities like Genoa and La Spezia, leading on to famous coastal gems.

From there, travelers disperse to the Cinque Terre villages of Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Manarola, Riomaggiore, and Corniglia. Others move further along the coast to elegant resorts like Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, and Rapallo.

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Reaching the Riviera in an Era of Tighter Competition Rules

When competition among airlines and agencies is robust, you’re more likely to find convenient combinations such as:

Flights into Genoa paired with a seaside hotel in Camogli or Sestri Levante

Arrivals in Pisa or Florence combined with trains onward to Levanto and the Cinque Terre

Multi-stop itineraries linking Sanremo, Alassio, and Finale Ligure with inland wine or cultural tours

By defending competitive access to flights, the AGCM aims to keep such options open. This ensures that tailor-made packages and dynamic pricing remain available.

For you as a traveler, that can mean more flexibility to design the Riviera escape you want—whether it’s a quick weekend in Portofino or a hiking adventure through Vernazza and Corniglia.

It could also be a slow, week-long coastal journey from Genoa to La Spezia.

Compare offers widely and consider both direct and agency bookings. The Italian Riviera is magnificently well-connected by rail and ferry once you arrive.

With a bit of planning, the shimmering harbors of the Ligurian coast remain as accessible as ever.

Here is the source article for this story: Italy fines Ryanair $300M for abusing market dominance

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