Ryanair strike new deal with airport

NO-FRILLS airline Ryanair has shrugged off the recent European Commission decision that threatened its routes to and from Charleroi airport near Brussels, by striking a new deal with the regional authority that owns the airport.

The agreement will leave the existing airport and handling charges, which help keep Ryanair's costs at a minimum, in place. But the charging structure will be reviewed when annual passenger numbers at Charleroi exceed 2 million, just 200,000 more than current levels.

The Walloon regional government will also bring in new legislation to make the discounts on offer to Ryanair available to other airlines, to counter the European Commission ruling in February that the subsidies were an illegal state aid to Ryanair that distorted competition.