September 22, 2023 – Kiwi.com welcomes the decision this week of the Italian Competition & Market Authority (AGCM) to investigate Ryanair for a possible dominant position of an exclusionary nature.  The antitrust agency noted the effects not only on travel agencies but also on the final consumers, leading to worsening conditions in terms of quantity and quality and unjustified difficulties in the management of their booking.

The position of the AGCM addresses that there is a wider issue for consumers than a dispute between online travel agents (OTAs) and the carrier, and at the same time appears aligned with Kiwi.com’s recent injunction application, requesting the Civil Court of Milan to intervene and suspend the harm caused by Ryanair’s newly implemented verification process that penalizes consumers choosing to book with OTAs.

Kiwi.com CEO, Oliver Dlouhý, commented: “At Kiwi.com we believe in a simplified experience for travelers, removing the anxieties associated with air travel and welcome any investigation that looks after the interests of consumers.” 

The investigation by the antitrust agency in Italy follows the actions of other consumer representative associations and authorities in Europe, including that of the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) in Spain, also this week, accusing the airline of ‘malpractice for forcing passengers to pay extra to check in at the airport, particularly those who book their flights through a travel agent or another third party’.

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About Kiwi.com 

Kiwi.com is a leading global travel tech company headquartered in the Czech Republic, employing over 1,200 people worldwide. Kiwi.com’s innovative algorithm enables users to find better route options and prices other search engines can’t see, performing billions of price checks per day across 95% of global flight content. 100 million searches are carried out every day on Kiwi.com’s website and partner channels. On average over 70,000 seats are sold daily.