THE comments by Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary (December 18) on the Lisbon Treaty, and in particular his comments in relation to Sinn Féin and his claim that the party are a “bunch of economic illiterates”, made me laugh.

RYANAIR’S Michael O’Leary said he and the airline would campaign for a yes vote in the next referendum on the Lisbon treaty.

RYANAIR has won a landmark case confirming it can conclude deals with state-owned airports that give it highly preferential rates and conditions.

Ryanair today won a court ruling not to repay Belgium a €4.5m subsidy.

Ryanair tonight slammed a new European Commission investigation into its operations as “spurious and baseless”.

BELGIUM’S French-speaking Walloon region wants to sell 27% of its stake in Charleroi airport, a major hub for Ryanair, Belgian media reported on Saturday.

Two men have been arrested at Dublin Airport following a disturbance onboard a Ryanair flight this morning.

Ryanair has hit out at a British ruling banning its from claiming that its London to Brussels flights are cheaper and faster than Eurostar services.

Ryanair has been banned by the British authorities from claiming that its London to Brussels flights are cheaper and faster than Eurostar services.

RYANAIR will be hoping its luck in legal challenges changes as it launches another argument with the European Commission.

Ryanair has been forced to cancel flights in and out of Charleroi airport in Brussels this weekend because of industrial action by staff.

Closing arguments get under way today in a landmark case over a secret deal between Ryanair and the North's only publicly-owned airport.

Belgian investigators are questioning an Iranian man who handed himself in to police claiming he’d been approached to blow up a passenger plane on the Charleroi-Dublin route, it was reported today.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares ended todays trading in bouyant form, finishing up 90.52 points to 6478.75.

The ISEQ index of Irish shares was in buoyant form today, up 76.10 points to 6,464.33.

Construction sites, car plants, public transportation and the port of Antwerp lay still today as workers took part in a one-day national strike by Belgium’s largest socialist union to protest planned changes to social security.

Belgian police have confirmed that four Irish people have been injured following an accident on a shuttle bus near Charleroi Airport.

A FRENCH court has dealt a blow to Ryanair with a ruling that subsidies given to the airline by the chambers of commerce in the city of Pau were illegal.

New moves to encourage low-cost use of regional airports were announced by the European Commission today.

The ISEQ Index of Irish shares closed up 60.09 at 5,736.51 today.

No-frills airline Ryanair today said it had agreed to repay €4m in illegal state subsidies paid by Belgium to encourage it to keep a hub at the country’s Charleroi airport.

Belgium’s Walloon region will have no choice but to take Ryanair to court if the carrier does not pay back €4 million in illegally granted state aid, a regional minister said yesterday.

A BELGIAN regional government has sent a letter to Irish no-frills airline Ryanair asking it to refund E4 million in subsidies the European Union deemed illegal, a spokesman at Charleroi airport said on Tuesday.

A CO-PILOT on his first official flight with Ryanair was forced to make an emergency landing after it appeared the captain had a cardiac arrest and was “clinically dead.”

THE British Airports Authority (BAA) is to take court action against Ryanair over the non-payment of £1 million landing fees at Stansted Airport.

RYANAIR plans to appeal a ruling by the European Commission that the airline received illegal financial subsidies from Charleroi airport in Belgium.

Ryanair has launched an appeal against an “anti-competitive” ruling over subsidies for using a Belgian airport, it was announced today.

A Ryanair jet on a flight to Dublin made an emergency return to Charleroi airport shortly after takeoff last night because of a problem with its landing gear.

Low-cost airline Ryanair is set to launch its appeal against the European Commission's ruling that it received illegal state aid at Charleroi airport in May, according to a report in the Financial Times.

Ryanair has reached an agreement with the local authorities in Belgium that will see it continuing to operate flights from Charleroi Airport.

Virgin Express Holding NV said it is considering seeking compensation for the damage it suffered to its business as a result of illegal subsidies granted to rival Ryanair Holdings PLC.

A day after fining Ryanair for violating anti-competition rules, the European Union head office began drafting EU-wide rules on subsidies low-cost airlines can receive from small regional airports.

Ryanair is set to appeal the long-awaited EU order to partially repay millions of euro in subsidies it received from Charleroi airport in Belgium.

Transport Minister Seamus Brennan told the EU in a letter made public today that the Government is "very concerned" about the potential impact of a European Commission ruling against Ryanair, for receipt of state aid for using Charleroi airport in Belgium.

Ryanair chief executive, Michael O’Leary has vowed to appeal today's European Commision's decision on Charleroi to the European Court.

Ryanair share prices have risen by around 10% on the Stock Exchange in Dublin this morning, despite the fact that the airline was ordered to repay millions of euros in illegal subsidies it received from the Belgian authorities.

The European Commission has ordered Ryanair to repay millions of euro in illegal discounts it received from Charleroi Airport in Belgium.

Ryanair was today hearing whether it has to pay back millions of pounds in subsidies it was given by Charleroi airport in Belgium.

THE EU Commission is expected to rule today that Ryanair’s deal with Charleroi airport is illegal.

The Irish index declined for a second day yesterday, shedding 37.23 points to close at 5066.25.

The ISEQ in Dublin closed down 37 points to 5066 as the market failed to recover from a downward trend that emerged at 10am.

RYANAIR will fight to block other airlines from availing of certain airport subsidies, after the EU hits the low-fares airline with a multi-million euro fine tomorrow.