The Court of Justice of the European Union rejected on Wednesday Ryanair’s complaint against the state aid allocated to Brussels Airlines by the Belgian Government during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Belgian airline had received €290 million from the Belgian State during the pandemic. The European Commission approved the measure, as it was intended to support companies in difficulty as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ryanair challenged this in court at the beginning of 2021, and it is not the first time that state aid has come under fire from the Irish budget airline company. The Court of First Instance, which is part of the Court of Justice of the European Union, therefore rejected the complaint on the grounds of the European Commission’s approval.
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In reaction, Brussels Airlines said it was "satisfied with today’s decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Court has confirmed the legitimacy of the August 2020 stabilisation measures, which had also been approved by the European Commission as part of the Covid-19 crisis."
The airline points out that it has "already repaid in full the aid received from the Belgian State last year. This repayment took place four years earlier than planned."
The news comes after it was emerged that Ryanair currently owes the Belgian State more than €5 million in social security payments.
