The European Commission is studying the need for new rules to govern airline ticket pricing but is not investigating Ryanair or other carriers for false advertising, a spokesman for the EU executive said today.
Philip Tod said several members of the European Parliament had raised concerns about the lack of transparency in taxes and charges relating to air fares but no inquiries were currently under way.
His comments came after the British newspaper, the Daily Telegraph said Ryanair, Europe's biggest budget airline, could be facing an EU investigation into alleged misstating of taxes and airport passenger fees on its European routes.
"There is no specific inquiry into any particular airline. The Commission considers that EU legislation already prevents companies from misleading consumers with regard to the advertised price of services," Mr Tod said.
"Any breaches of European legislation on misleading advertising is a matter for national authorities and courts to assess and act upon."
Mr Tod said the Brussels body's transport services had ordered a study on pricing practices in the air transport sector.
"On the basis of this study the Commission will examine whether any sector-specific rules are needed to complement the general consumer protection rules which already exist," he said.
The newspaper said Ryanair had been accused of inflating charges added to ticket prices for flights from some of its airports, a practice the report said may breach EU law. Ryanair denied the charges.
The Daily Telegraphsaid that Eva Lichtenberger, an Austrian MEP on the European Parliament's transport committee, was planning to call for an inquiry by the European Commission after the claims were apparently made by the German television programme PlusMinus.