Italian antitrust agency investigates Sicily and Sardinia air fares

  Italy's antitrust agency has launched an investigation into the pricing of flights on routes to the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, it said on Thursday.

The investigation comes after Giorgia Meloni's government backtracked in September on previously announced measures to tackle high fares, effectively scrapping a planned cap on increases for flights to the islands.

After some airlines, including budget carrier Ryanair, questioned the legality of the cap, the government gave the antitrust agency the task of monitoring fare increases.

The agency on Thursday said it was acting after reports of a marked rise in air ticket prices during peak periods.

Its investigation will focus on possible negative implications of pricing algorithms, it said, and will also examine the way ticket prices and their components are communicated to the public.