Ryanair Wins EU Fight Over Pandemic Aid for Air France-KLM

Ryanair filed dozens of court challenges to EU’s aid approvals
EU in 2020 and 2021 approved French aid plans for Air France

Passenger aircraft, operated by Ryanair Holdings Plc, at London Stansted Airport in Stansted, UK. — Passenger aircraft, operated by Ryanair Holdings Plc, at London Stansted Airport in Stansted, UK.
Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

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By Stephanie Bodoni

December 20, 2023 at 9:00 AM UTC

Updated on

December 20, 2023 at 11:08 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Ryanair Holdings Plc won European Union court challenges against billions of euros of state aid for rival Air France-KLM, in the latest round of the Irish carrier’s campaign against allegedly unfair subsidies doled out during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The EU’s General Court on Wednesday annulled the bloc’s formal approvals for the aid, saying regulators failed to vet the potential impact of the French government’s aid package not just on local unit Air France but also on Dutch arm KLM.