24/01/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the Commission decided to authorise the Italian government to fund the extension of infrastructure at the Tortolì-Arbatax airport in the province of Ogliastra (the eastern coast of Sardinia). The airport is currently managed by a private company, Gearto S.p.a., as part of a concession agreement which expires on 30 March 2024. Italian government plans to grant aid of 3,171,000 EUR out of the State budget to fund investments to modernise and extend the runway of the airport, the airport offices and facilities, the ring road and other installations. The Commission took the view that the proposed measure was in line with Community rules "because the funding aims to achieve a clearly defined objective of general interest, without causing undue market distortion". (hb)