Ryanair Under Investigation in Hungary for Passing on Extra-Profit Tax to Passengers
- 13 Jun 2022 8:59 AM
- Hungary Matters
The government condemns low-cost airline Ryanair’s “unfair ticket pricing”, the ministry of economic development said on Friday. Márton Nagy, the minister, has launched an investigation with a view to protecting consumers.
The Hungarian government has decided to tax extra profits in certain areas of the economy to protect families, and airline companies are affected by the measure, the ministry said in a statement.
The government has made it clear to all affected parties that it will monitor market trends and make every effort to prevent companies from transferring the extra burdens to consumers.
“The government considers Ryanair’s decision to transfer the extra tax to travellers unacceptable and resolutely rejects it,” the ministry said.
“It is especially preposterous that Ryanair has introduced this practice for tickets previously sold,” it added.
Nagy has ordered a consumer protection review asking government bodies with consumer protection powers to assess unfair practices and prevent them if possible, the statement said.
The minister has proposed that the authority also assess whether Ryanair’s ticket pricing is in line with all European standards and expectations, especially in view of special taxes on airlines having been in force in several other European countries for some time, it added.
The Budapest municipal government office said on Friday that it has launched an immediate consumer protection probe against Ryanair.
It is investigating whether the company is involved in unfair trade practices and violating consumer protection regulations, the statement added.
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