Prague, 17 June 2025 — The Chairman of the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, Petr Mlsna, has issued a final decision rejecting Ryanair’s appeal against a ruling upholding the legality of Václav Havel Airport Prague’s new pricing policy.
Ryanair had challenged the airport’s revised fee schedule, set to take effect from 30 March 2025 to 28 March 2026, arguing that the increased charges were excessive and discriminatory toward low-cost carriers. However, the Office ruled that the pricing did not breach the Civil Aviation Act, and that no evidence of unlawful discrimination was found.
In its complaint, Ryanair raised concerns over three main areas:
- Passenger Traffic Estimates and Cost Calculations — Ryanair claimed the airport had underestimated future passenger numbers, affecting cost distribution.
- New Charges for Nitrogen Oxide Emissions — The airline opposed the introduction of these environmental charges.
- Check-in Counter Fees and Self-Service Incentives — Ryanair alleged discrimination due to higher fees for traditional check-in desks and discounts favouring self-service baggage check-in systems, which the airline said disadvantage low-cost carriers.
However, the Competition Office maintained that its mandate does not extend to evaluating the method of fee calculation, focusing instead on ensuring equal treatment of airlines. On the third point, the Office found that incentivising self-service check-in was a legitimate effort by the airport to increase operational efficiency and did not constitute discrimination — even if some carriers, due to technical limitations, were unable to take advantage of such discounts.
The Chairman’s final decision confirms that neither direct nor indirect discrimination occurred. The Office also rejected Ryanair’s argument that the lack of a payment terminal at self-service stations rendered the policy unfair, concluding that this did not amount to covert discrimination.
This definitive ruling means Ryanair has exhausted its avenues of administrative appeal within the Czech competition framework.
