Ryanair has been convicted of unfair competition and forced to withdraw its campaign against eDreams.

In 2023, Ryanair launched a series of smear campaigns against online travel agencies , most notably eDreams ODIGEO and its Prime program. Now, the 12th Commercial Court of Barcelona has convicted the airline of unfair competition and denigration of the Spanish company by disseminating false claims through various platforms. In fact, in July 2024, the court adopted precautionary measures against the airline, ordering it to cease these practices , and subsequently, in September 2024, issued a formal warning for non-compliance with the order.

The latest ruling conclusively establishes that Ryanair's derogatory accusations about eDreams and its Prime membership model are false . As the court notes, this campaign was disseminated through Ryanair's websites, press releases, social media, and public statements by its top executives, including its own CEO, Michael O'Leary . The ruling concludes that these claims were intended to harm a key competitor .

Consequently, Ryanair is required to cease its smear campaign, remove all such content from all its platforms, and issue a public retraction on its own website and social media channels, maintaining it for six months. Specifically, the court requires the Irish airline to publish: "Ryanair acknowledges that eDreams Prime is a legitimate subscription service that offers consumers savings on flights, hotels, packages, and car rentals."

In response, Guillaume Teissonnière, legal advisor at eDreams ODIGEO, said: "For Ryanair, this must sound like a broken record. To say it's 'déjà vu' is an understatement. Time and again, the courts have roundly condemned their vilification tactics . Their intention is clear: to unfairly crush the competition. Enough is enough. Ryanair must once and for all abandon these intimidating methods, compete on the merits and comply with the law . This is long overdue."