Air France-KLM and Air France have confirmed that they have filed two appeals for annulment before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
These appeals relate to two judgments made in December 2023 by the General Court of the European Union. The judgments overturned decisions by the European Commission in 2020 and 2021 that had approved several state aid measures granted by France during the COVID-19 crisis.
“Air France-KLM recalls that Air France-KLM and Air France have reimbursed all of the aid received, in accordance with the applicable legal framework,” Air France-KLM said in a statement.
Ryanair and Malta Air had contested the approval of a €7 billion COVID-19 support grant in 2020 and an additional €4 billion in 2021, arguing that these payments distorted competition and violated EU law.
The European General Court ruled in favor of the two plaintiffs, overturning the Commission’s decision to greenlight the aid. The ruling asserted that the state aid was indeed illegal. The court emphasized the Commission’s responsibility to ensure fair competition within the air transport market.
