LegalMay 13, 2026, 06:32 AM
Italy Court: AGCM Discriminated Against Ryanair; Orders 4.2M Repayment
AI Summary
The Italian Council of State issued a final and binding judgment annulling a 4.2 million fine imposed on Ryanair by the AGCM in 2021, ordering full repayment plus interest. The court found that the AGCM discriminated against Ryanair by rejecting its proposed commitments while accepting similar ones from other airlines. Ryanair has called on Italy's Prime Minister to reform the AGCM, citing this ruling and an ongoing appeal against a separate 256 million fine.
Key Highlights
- Italian Council of State annulled a 4.2M AGCM fine imposed on Ryanair in 2021 related to Covid flight cancellations.
- The Court found that the AGCM discriminated against Ryanair by rejecting its proposed commitments without dialogue.
- AGCM had accepted similar commitments from other airlines including Alitalia, Vueling, and Blue Panorama.
- The Council of State held that AGCM's conduct breached core principles of administrative and competition law.
- Ryanair called on Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to urgently reform the Italian Competition Authority (AGCM).
- Ryanair is appealing a separate 256M AGCM fine imposed for its direct distribution policy.
- The Milan Court of Appeal in Jan 2024 confirmed Ryanair's direct distribution model benefits consumers and is economically justified.