Finnair competition breach is the center of a major regulatory case that could cost the airline about 7.6 million euros. The proposed fine follows claims that the company shared misleading and incomplete information with authorities during a formal investigation into how flight prices were handled on online travel platforms.
The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority KKV opened the case after concerns related to ticket sales for flights tied to the Finnish market. The inquiry runs parallel to a similar regulatory review in Sweden and looks into whether the airline placed restrictions on how agencies promote or display price details to customers.
According to KKV, Finnair submitted four responses to official data requests in autumn 2023 that were later judged as partial, inaccurate, and unclear. Officials noted that the information slowed the investigation and limited the ability to confirm if the airline tried to influence how ticket prices were marketed by third party booking sites.
KKV also conducted a surprise inspection at the airline’s Helsinki office in spring 2024. This step sought internal files connected to pricing decisions and how they were shared with sales partners. The authority stated that collected evidence supports what it calls a broad procedural violation based on non compliance with information requirements.
KKV Director General Timo Mattila said that the agency relies on complete and precise information to enforce competition laws and described the behavior as obstructive.
The projected penalty is set at 0.25 percent of the airline’s reported 2024 revenue. Finnish law allows fines up to one percent of a company’s global turnover when information requests are not followed properly. The final ruling will be issued by the Finnish Market Court, while the core investigation into possible anticompetitive actions is still active.
@monteozafrica Why Am I Still in Ghana 🇬🇭????
Finnair rejected the allegations and stated that it had already stopped practices related to travel agency pricing after reaching commitments with Swedish authorities in 2023. The company added that the Finnish review was unnecessary and said a misunderstanding took place that could have been avoided through deeper communication.
The Swedish case required Finnair to allow agencies to market fares for routes connected to Sweden without restrictions. The Finnish inquiry started soon after to confirm whether similar behaviors affected the Finnish market.
KKV noted that this marks the first time it has pushed for a penalty based solely on procedural issues rather than a direct competition violation. The move highlights how regulators are increasing pressure on companies to cooperate fully during audits and investigations, with the lack of transparency now treated as a punishable risk on its own.
