Ryanair and Laudamotion were finally dismissed with their lawsuit against the state AUA rescue in the aftermath of the corona pandemic. Aid from the Republic of 150 million euros for Austrian Airlines (AUA) from 2020 was legal, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled in Luxembourg on Monday.
Formally, the legal dispute was about whether the European Commission was allowed to approve the aid.
Low-cost airlines Ryanair and Laudamotion had filed a lawsuit against the European Commission’s decision, but had already been unsuccessful about three years ago at the European Court of First Instance (ECI). The two airlines appealed to the Court of Justice. However, the ECJ upheld the ECJ’s ruling on Monday.
Millions saved for the AUA
The AUA was rescued in June 2020 with a total of €600 million after the first wave of the pandemic. The €150 million at issue in today’s ruling flowed directly from the state treasury to the airline’s accounts and did not have to be repaid.
The AUA has since repaid a loan of 300 million euros for which the Republic is liable. The German AUA owner Lufthansa donated another 150 million euros at the time.
Source: Krone
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