Ryanair loses legal battle against Brussels Airlines subsidies

The Court of Justice of the European Union has rejected budget airline Ryanair's complaint against the state aid Brussels Airlines received during the coronavirus pandemic.

Brussels Airlines received €290 million in assistance during that time – a measure that was approved by the European Commission in order to support companies struggling as a result of travel bans.

Ryanair challenged the measure in court at the beginning of 2021.

Because it was not the first time the budget airline protested against state aid to airlines, the Court of First Instance, which is part of the Court of Justice of the European Union, rejected the complaint against the European Commission's approval.

In a reaction to the ruling, Brussels Airlines said it was "satisfied with the decision".

“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 corona crisis,” a statement from the company said.

Brussels Airlines said it had “already repaid in full the aid received from the Belgian state last year. This repayment took place four years earlier than planned”.