Airline Web sites told to improve or be closed

By Darren Ennis

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Over 200 European Web sites selling airline tickets, including many run by leading airlines, mislead consumers and will be shut down if they fail to improve, the European Union's consumer chief said on Wednesday.

Consumer Protection Commissioner Meglena Kuneva gave airlines such as Ryanair (RYA.I) and the owners of the other travel Web sites four months to "get their act together" or face possible closure of their sites.

The order followed the publication of results from an investigation by Brussels into misleading advertising and unfair practices on airline ticket selling Web sites across the 27-member bloc and Norway. The probe found Web sites with unfair pricing, hidden charges and terms and conditions not translated properly.

"We discovered that about 50 percent of airline ticket selling Web sites are currently letting Europe's consumers down," Kuneva told a news conference.

The EU's executive European Commission said possible sanctions included fines or the closure of Web sites.

Web sites are critical for the EU airline travel industry, which Commission figures show caters to over 700 million passengers per year.

"They will be closed down, I will shut them down if they do not improve and I will also take infringement proceedings if necessary against countries which do not do their duty," Kuneva said.

If a country fails to implement EU laws fully, the EU executive may take legal action that can end up before the European Court of Justice -- Europe's highest court.