30/11/2021 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 30 November, the European Commission approved, under EU State aid rules, the prolongation until 31 December 2027 of an existing German aid scheme, exempting (from the otherwise applicable German air transport tax) flights to and from certain small and remote German islands carrying selected groups of passengers. The scheme, which was originally approved by the Commission in 2011, is set to expire on 31 December 2021. Under the scheme, air transport companies operating the eligible routes to and from the eligible islands will be exempted from the air travel tax as regards passengers domiciled in those islands as well as other categories of passengers, including passengers in need of medical treatment and civil servants working on the islands. (LC)