Ryanair Wins EU Fight Over Covid Aid for Lufthansa, SAS
- Irish carrier challenged EU approval for state subsidies
- Court faults European Commission’s approvals processes
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A European Union court toppled Germany’s massive bailout of Deutsche Lufthansa AG at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, backing Ryanair Holdings Plc’s claims that the package unfairly tilted competition toward its rival.
Terms of a €6 billion-euro ($6.6 billion) recapitalization approved by the European Commission were too favorable to Lufthansa, and demands that Europe’s biggest network carrier forfeit take-off and landing rights in Frankfurt and Munich were structured in a way that didn’t provide a realistic chance for competition, the court ruled.