Boost for State-owned regional airports

IRELAND’S State-owned regional airports will be able to subsidise new flights for a limited period under proposals from the European Commission.

However, Ryanair, Europe’s premier low-cost airline, is not in favour of the plan published yesterday in Brussels.

Under the new proposals any state-owned regional airport with less than five million passengers a year will be able to pay an airline between 30% and 50% of the start up costs on a new route.