Brussels, 19 March 2025 – Following the European Commission’s preliminary findings into Alphabet as part of its investigation under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), A4E remains concerned that DMA-induced changes to Google Search could result in a number of detrimental unintended consequences.

These changes are impacting online searches for consumers who are not being provided with fair and transparent displays of travel offers. European consumers have the right to clear, unbiased information when searching for flights. Airline offers must remain visible and easily distinguishable alongside metasearch and OTA results online. This will enable consumers to make fully informed booking decisions in a fair and transparent marketplace.

Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of Airlines for Europe (A4E), said:

“Regulating a market behemoth through the DMA must not come at the expense of fairness for airlines and choice for consumers. Any changes to Google’s search result displays cannot result in airline offers being buried in the digital backstreets of the internet (aka page 3 of Google Search results). A clear and separate display for both airline and online intermediary offers must be maintained.”

ENDS