Ryanair, Europeå‘s only low fares airline, this morning (12 Sept. 02) welcomed the decision of the Italian Competition Authority rejecting Alitaliaå‘s attacks on Ryanairå‘s comparative advertising, which showed Ryanairå‘s fares to be over 90% cheaper than Alitaliaå‘s. The Authority also found that Ryanairå‘s advertised fares are widely available and questioned Alitaliaå‘s policy of forcing consumers who wish to travel one way to pay business class fares.

Commenting on the Authority’s decision, Ryanair’s Sales and Marketing Manager for Europe, Sinead Finn, said today:

“We welcome this decision of the Competition Authority, which confirms what Italian consumers already know - Alitalia’s fares are very high and it continues to maintain abusive fare rules that force consumers to pay the highest fares. Alitalia, in common with other high fares airlines, attacked Ryanair’s comparative advertising precisely because it is true and the Authority has now confirmed it. The Authority’s decision guarantee’s that Ryanair can continue to demonstrate the extent to which Alitalia is overcharging Italian consumers.

We would urge the Competition Authority to investigate Alitalia’s abusive fare practices that force Italian consumers to pay extremely high fares. Other high fares airlines in Europe, including BA, Lufthansa and SAS, are being forced to do away with these abusive fare rules and to dramatically reduce their fares, all thanks to the challenge of low fares competition and comparative advertising”.

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