On Friday 4 September, the European Commission approved Italian aid of €199.45 million for Alitalia to “compensate for the damage caused to the airline by the coronavirus pandemic”.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President responsible for Competition Policy, explained that this measure will allow Italy to compensate Alitalia for the damage directly caused to it by the travel restrictions designed to contain the spread of the coronavirus. “At the same time, our investigations into past support measures for Alitalia are ongoing”, says Vestager.
Italy notified the Commission of an aid measure to compensate Alitalia for the damage it suffered between 1 March 2020 and 15 June 2020 as a result of the containment measures and travel restrictions. The aid will take the form of a direct grant (€199.45 million), which corresponds to the estimated amount of damage directly caused to the airline over this period.
The Commission considers the pandemic to be an extraordinary event. As a result, Member States are justified in taking exceptional measures to address the damage related to the pandemic. The Commission determined that the Italian measure was proportionate and that it would provide compensation for the damage directly related to the pandemic.
On 23 April 2018, on the basis of complaints submitted to it, the Commission initiated a formal investigation procedure concerning loans amounting to €900 million granted by Italy to Alitalia in 2017. On 28 February 2020, the Commission opened a separate formal investigation into an additional €400 million loan granted by Italy in October 2019. Both investigations are ongoing. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)