The European Union's General Court has dismissed Ryanair's appeals against an Italian state aid scheme approved by the European Commission in 2020 to support airlines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The court ruled that the subsidies paid by Italy to airlines affected by the coronavirus crisis complied with EU law, finding that the scheme did not breach the principle of non-discrimination nor the freedoms to provide services and establish businesses within the bloc.
Ryanair sought to cancel the Italian scheme, which initially provided €130 million ($149 million) in support for airlines licensed in Italy before being increased by a further €100 million ($114 million).
The budget airline argued that the aid was discriminatory and that the European Commission's approval breached procedural rules.
The General Court initially annulled the Commission's decision in 2023, but the Court of Justice of the European Union referred the case back to the lower court in 2025 for a fresh assessment.
In its latest ruling, the General Court upheld the Commission's approval of the Italian aid scheme by dismissing Ryanair's appeals.
The decision comes after Ryanair secured a separate victory in April, when the EU's top court ruled in its favour in a similar case involving German state aid granted to Lufthansa during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” i...
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has left for France for a four-day visit aimed at strengthening ties with Paris, including a summit with Frenc...
Adidas is facing calls for a boycott after featuring former Israeli soldier Shalev Biton in a campaign for its Single Shoe Service, as critics ques...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
U.S. negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have arrived in Moscow for peace talks on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, two people familiar with the matter said. They were met by Russian Presidential Envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin held more than three hours of talks with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Moscow on efforts to end the Ukraine war.
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
The families of 32 Kenyans who died in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 disaster are set to receive a combined $87.3 million in compensation from victim funds linked to Boeing, bringing a significant chapter in the long-running legal battle closer to a conclusion.
Flights at Catania airport in Sicily will remain suspended until early Friday as ash from Mount Etna continues to disrupt air travel, following hundreds of cancellations and diversions over the past week.
The U.S. has made its visa bond programme permanent for citizens of 50 countries, requiring some business and tourist visa applicants to pay refundable deposits of up to $20,000. Several Central Asian countries remain on the list, but Uzbekistan is not.
Kazakhstan is set to become the first country in Central Asia to introduce electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis into its transport system.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment