Ryanair, TUIfly Ordered To Repay Illegal Aid

The European Commission has ordered three airlines to repay EUR€12.7 million in illegal state aid given by Austria’s Klagenfurt airport.

Ryanair has been ordered to repay about EUR€2 million, TUIfly EUR€1.1 million and HLX EUR€9.6 million.

HLX or Hapag-Lloyd Express, merged with Hapagfly to form TUIfly in 2007.

The airlines are now required to repay the amounts they received in aid to Austria.

The Commission in a statement said “no profit-driven airport manager would have concluded such loss-making agreements, they amount to state aid to the airlines. Moreover, the agreements simply reduce the operating costs of the airlines, without contributing to common transport objectives. These agreements therefore distort competition.”