Lufthansa is going to the ECJ against the ban on state aid

Last week, Lufthansa lodged an appeal against the ban on state aid granted in 2020, which has since been repaid. The matter is now pending before the European Court of Justice. 

At the beginning of the corona pandemic, the Federal Republic of Germany, among others, lent around six billion euros to the Lufthansa Group. This step was approved by the EU Commission. On the other hand, the competitors Ryanair and Condor went to court and the EU court overturned the permit. It should also be noted in this context that Condor has made use of state aid several times in recent years. 

The state-guaranteed loans have now been repaid in full by Lufthansa. The group has rescheduled these to regular capital market bonds. The decision of the EU court is being appealed to the ECJ because state aid from the Federal Republic of Germany is considered to be legal.