Huge price increases at airlines have now alarmed the Italian authorities. The Price Control Board has launched an investigation.
Bureau chief Benedetto Mineo on Tuesday afternoon asked airlines operating domestic flights for “accurate explanations of price dynamics”, particularly regarding “routes that have experienced abnormal price fluctuations”. The study came under pressure from the government in Rome after the national statistical office Istat reported a 40 percent annual increase in average ticket prices in May. The airlines must provide the statements “within 10 days,” Mineo said.
Meeting with airlines
On Tuesday, Mineo met with Ita Airways, Ryanair, Malta Air, Aeroitalia, Easyjet, Neos and Wizz Air. The authority is investigating ticket prices on some routes connecting the cities of Rome and Milan with Venice, Palermo, Catania and Cagliari. The consumer protection association Codacons welcomed the investigation. “The government is right to subpoena the airlines to monitor what happens to the fares,” said Carlo Rienzi, president of Codacons.
According to him, prices in the aviation sector have gotten out of hand. Rienzi stressed that these were inappropriate given the falling commodity prices.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
