Transport|The airline is estimated to have intervened in the pricing of air tickets of online travel agencies.
Competition and Consumer Agency announces that it will present the airline Finnair with a fine of 7.6 million euros for providing incorrect, incomplete and misleading information. The market court decides on a possible penalty payment.
Swedish and Finnish competition authorities have investigated Finnair’s suspected anti-competitive conduct, in which the company would have intervened in the pricing of flight tickets of online travel agencies.
Finnair promised in 2023 to comply with the commitments imposed by the Swedish Competition Authority. They prohibit the company from restricting how online travel agencies advertise the company’s ticket prices on flights departing from and arriving in Sweden.
in Finland In the fall of 2023, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority started an investigation in which it will investigate Finnair’s procedure for ticket sales for flights departing from and arriving in Finland. The investigation started with a request for clarification.
Under the Competition Act, companies have an obligation to provide the agency with the necessary information and documents at its request to investigate the restriction of competition. In the fall of 2023, according to the Finnish Competition and Consumer Agency, Finnair provided incorrect, incomplete and misleading information in its four responses to requests for clarification.
In the spring of 2024, the agency conducted a surprise inspection of Finnair’s premises in accordance with the Competition Act. The goal of the inspection was to get a true picture of the suspected anti-competitive conduct, on the basis of which the company is the subject of an investigation.
According to the agency’s assessment, it is a broad and serious breach of procedure
“In terms of efficient investigation activities and the use of resources, it is important that companies act carefully and provide the agency with as truthful and comprehensive information as possible,” says the CEO of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Agency Timo Mattila in the bulletin.
Finnair denies the agency’s views in all respects.
“The investigation has been unnecessary, as Finnair stopped steering measures against travel agencies in all countries with the commitment given to the Swedish Competition Authority. The misunderstanding that occurred could have been avoided if the Competition and Consumer Agency had investigated the matter carefully”, Finnair announces in its press release.