The European Commission should not have approved the corona support that Italian airlines have received, the European Court of Justice has ruled.
It is the second time in as many weeks that the European court has annulled approval for corona support for aviation.
Italy allocated 130 million euros in 2020 to help ailing Italian airlines through the corona pandemic. They had to promise to pay their staff at least the minimum wage agreed upon in the collective labour agreement. The committee, which must ensure that such state aid does not harm free competition, agreed.
But the Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair did not stop there and went to court in Luxembourg. Ryanair paid lower salaries and was not eligible for the Corona support.
The court concludes that the committee has not sufficiently substantiated its approval. Italy may therefore have to ask for the money back. The commission can still appeal.
