Antitrust authority opens Ryanair probe

(ANSA) - Rome, September 20 - The Italian antitrust authority on Wednesday opened a probe into Ryanair for alleged improper commercial practices over the Irish low-cost airline's mass cancellation of flights, including over 700 in Italy. In a statement the regulator stressed that the cancellations were caused by managerial and organizational problems, not extraordinary circumstances beyond the airline's control. A part of the probe is also looking into the information the company gave about the cancellations and possible remedies.
    Ryanair has cancelled 702 flights to or from Italian airports in the period up to the end of October, according to a list of ditched services on the Irish low-cost airlines website. All the airline's main services and the airports it uses in Italy are affected. Ryanair said it is cancelling 40 to 50 flights a day for six weeks after "messing up" its planning of pilot holidays.