On Tuesday 10 September, following an in-depth investigation launched in October 2018 (see EUROPE 12126/13), the European Commission asked Germany to recover around €14 million in illegal state aid granted by the Land of Rhineland-Palatinate to the low-cost airline Ryanair and Frankfurt-Hahn Airport.
According to the EU institution, the following measures are incompatible with EU state aid rules: (1) the return to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport of a plot of land previously acquired by the Land of Rhineland-Palatinate, without compensation from this airport; (2) two marketing services contracts concluded between the Land of Rhineland-Palatinate and Ryanair; (3) training aid in favour of Ryanair.
The first two measures did not comply with market conditions and the third concerned an economic activity that did not meet any of the compatibility criteria invoked by Germany.
The German authorities will have to recover approximately €13-14 million, plus interest, from Ryanair, as well as €1.25 million, plus interest, from the airport concerned.
The Commission also concluded that other public aid to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, Haitec AG, an aircraft maintenance services company, and Ryanair did not constitute State aid. They are: - three airport service agreements signed in 2013, 2015 and 2016 between Frankfurt-Hahn Airport and Ryanair; - the hire of a school for crew members and pilots; - the guarantee granted by the Land of Rhineland-Palatinate to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport for the sale of the plot. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)