Ryanair is facing challenges at both ends of its price range, with Europe's largest airline taking aim at proposed minimum fares in France after fending off a cap on what it charges in Italy.
France, where Ryanair serves cities such as Marseille and Bordeaux, has floated proposals for a minimum ticket price in an effort to reduce pollution from aviation.
This summer's standoff between Ryanair and the Italian government shows how central the low-cost carriers have become to life in Europe and how hard it is to rein them in. Ryanair now generates more than a fifth of its revenues - almost €2.4 billion in its last financial year - on Italian routes, and claims a market share in excess of 40%.
Alarmed by the prices of domestic flights to Sicily and Sardinia in high season, the government passed a decree in August to cap them, striking a chord with Italians who want to return to their native regions to visit families in summer. Alitalia has been replaced by a slimmed down state carrier, ITA which is due to get some heavyweight foreign backing from Lufthansa.
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