Airline Industry Information-October 6, 2005-Finnish civil aviation authority rejects illegal aid claims
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The Finnish civil aviation authority rejects claims that Irish budget airline Ryanair has received financial support. The European Commission reportedly suspects that the carrier has received illegal aid at Tampere's Pirkkala airport. Finnish business newspaper Taloussanomat reports that the Commission has launched an investigation based on a complaint from a competing airline. According to the newspaper, there are also claims that the civil aviation authority has renovated an old terminal for the carrier and that it pays less than other airlines pay for the new terminal. Samuli Haapasalo,the director-general of the Finnish civil aviation authority, has rejected claims that the authority has financially supported the airline. Haapasalo said that about 50 airlines were invited to use the Pirkkala airport in Tampere and only Ryanair accepted the offer. He also said that the service level at the terminal is low and the price accordingly lower. According to the Finnish news service STT-FNB, the access to the former cargo terminal has been offered to all for the same price and with the same conditions. No report on the matter has yet been handed in to the European Union's competition authorities, but Haapasalo believes that it will satisfy the EU.
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