In September 2024, the EU Commission decided that the state of Rhineland-Palatinate must claim millions in reimbursement from the Irish airline Ryanair and Hahn Airport.
This decision concerns several state aids granted by the state government that were not in line with EU competition guidelines. Specifically, it concerns subsidies that were made available to Hahn Airport and Ryanair in recent years, including a piece of land that was originally sold by the state to the airport and then transferred back without compensation. The EU Commission also objects to two marketing contracts between the state and Ryanair, as well as training grants for the airline.
The repayment claim amounts to around 13 to 14 million euros from Ryanair and 1,25 million euros from Hahn Airport. According to the EU Commission, these funds are illegal because they distorted competition at European level and gave the airline an unlawful advantage. Ryanair has already announced that it will appeal against the decision, while the state of Rhineland-Palatinate is now coordinating the next steps with the EU Commission and the Federal Ministry of Transport. Even though no final repayment claim has been made, discussions about the exact amount and method of repayment are in full swing.
The history of Hahn Airport is marked by financial challenges. After the state of Rhineland-Palatinate held 82,5 percent of the airport's shares in the past, these were sold to the Chinese group HNA in 2017. Despite this takeover, state aid continued to flow to the airport, even after it filed for bankruptcy in 2021. In 2023, Trier-based Triwo AG took over operational management. It remains to be seen how these repayments will affect the future of the airport, which has repeatedly come into focus in the past due to its location and connections to Ryanair.
This case once again underlines the EU Commission's strict stance towards illegal aid and its commitment to ensuring fair competition within the EU aviation industry. The repayments could represent a financial burden not only for Ryanair and Hahn Airport, but also for the affected regional economies that have benefited from the cooperation with the airport.
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