Irish carriers Ryanair and Aer Lingus have won a court challenge against a European Commission ruling that ordered them to repay state aid related to Ireland’s air travel tax.
Ryanair welcomed today’s ruling of the EU general court, which annulled the 2012 decision ordering it pays the Irish state €8 for every passenger who paid a €2 rate of the Air Travel Tax between 2009 and 2011.
The tax was set at €10 for flights departing Irish airports and landing more than 300km from Dublin Airport, and at €2 for flights departing Irish airports and landing less than 300km from Dublin Airport.
The European Commission decided in 2012 that Ryanair, Aer Lingus and Aer Arann should pay the Irish State €8 in respect of each passenger who was subject to the €2 Air Travel Tax rate during that period.
Ryanair said: “The EU General Court today annulled the European Commission’s decision in this respect and found that the Commission erred in concluding that the advantage enjoyed by the airlines automatically amounted in all cases to €8.”
Following the 2011 investigation by the Commission Ireland modified its air travel tax to a flat rate for all flights, domestic and international.
Last year, Ryanair was told to repay almost €9.6 million in illegal state aid it received from the French government for its operations at several regional airports.