The Italian Competition Authority imposed a €256 million fine on Ryanair for abusing its dominant market position to restrict ticket sales through online travel agencies.

The authority stated that Europe’s largest airline “implemented an abusive strategy to block travel agencies” through a “complex strategy” of technical obstacles for agents and passengers. Its goal was to make it harder for online travel agencies to sell tickets, benefiting its own website instead.

The fine, according to The Guardian, concerned Ryanair’s practices between April 2023 and at least April 2025. Ryanair’s sudden removal from agency websites at the end of 2023 caused a drop in the airline’s sales, which in turn affected profits, though not dramatically.

Ryanair’s tactic included requiring facial recognition for people purchasing tickets via third parties, claiming it was necessary for security reasons. It then “fully or intermittently blocked booking attempts from travel agencies,” including by blocking payment methods and mass-deleting accounts.

The airline also “imposed cooperation agreements” on agencies that prohibited selling Ryanair tickets in combination with other airlines. Only this April did Ryanair take measures allowing competition.

Ryanair stated it would immediately appeal the Italian authority’s decision, which it called “legally flawed.”

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary had decided to declare war on what he calls “pirate” online travel agencies like Booking.com, Kiwi, and Kayak. O’Leary even accused the sector of deceiving and exploiting unsuspecting consumers by charging extra fees and surcharges on ticket prices. He was willing to accept lower ticket sales while trying to block travel agencies from selling tickets, forcing their passengers to fill out additional forms, supposedly as a security measure.

According to him, the decision is an “insult to consumer protection and competition law.”

Known for his aggressive—even insulting—statements, O’Leary plans to hand over control of the company to a successor within the next 5–10 years. He will receive shares worth €111 million if he remains with the airline until the end of July 2028. He was already a billionaire on paper due to his stake in the company.