Brussels, 10/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission decided on Tuesday to launch a formal investigation into several arrangements of Flughafen Lübeck GmbH operating Lübeck Blankensee airport. In 2000, this publicly owned company concluded a bilateral contract with Ryanair, which, the Commission feels, might constitute illegal and incompatible State aid, as it offers airport charges much more favourable than provided for in the published airport charge regulation. In addition, the Commission believes that Flughafen Lübeck GmbH might have received operating aid in the form of the take-over of annual losses by the City of Lübeck, and also investment aid for infrastructure investment from the Land Schleswig Holstein. Finally, the Commission, at this stage, cannot exclude that the New Zealand company Infratil, which acquired Flughafen Lübeck GmbH in 2005, might have received state aid in the form of a sales price under market price. (ol)