Ryanair accuses rivals of price fixing
Ryanair has lodged a complaint with the European Competition Commission accusing rival airlines Deutsche Lufthansa, Swiss, KLM and Air France of price fixing.
The low-cost airline’s chief executive Michael O’Leary (pictured) says that in a six-hour period on September 25 the four airlines all increased their fuel surcharges by five euros to as high as 70 euros per seat.
In a press statement he says: “The latest abusive increase in fuel surcharge highlights the lack of competition between the European mega-carriers who continue to gouge European consumers by imposing bogus fuel surcharges.”
An EC spokesman confirms a letter from Ryanair was received on October 4 and is under investigation. Air France and Lufthansa deny price-fixing.
Earlier this month the airline said it would sue France in the European Court of Human Rights in the hope of preventing its French-based staff from being subject to French labour laws and social security taxes.
