Airline wins landmark ruling on subsidies

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

The ruling by the European Court in Luxembourg on Ryanair’s agreement with Charleroi airport near Brussels also means Europe’s largest low fares airline will get to keep over €4.5 million frozen for the last four years.

A jubilant Michael O’Leary said he believed the decision would mean the demise of similar cases involving eight other regional airports used by Ryanair.