The decision of Ryanair's challenge to Germany's €321.2 million rescue of competitor airline Condor during the COVID-19 crisis will have to wait a little longer. The judges who were supposed to make a decision on the case have postponed it until further notice. Condor's aid has been criticised by Ryanair as unfair.
The General Court of the European Union has decided to postpone its decision on Ryanair's objection to Condor's state aid. According to The Irish Times, the judgement was meant to be made on May 11th, but has now been postponed until further notice.
The cheap airline has maintained from the start that the German government is only willing to assist its own carriers, despite the fact that other airlines contribute to the country's economy and connectivity.
Condor had previously benefited from a €380 million German loan to save it from bankruptcy following the collapse of its parent company Thomas Cook in 2019. Ryanair also pointed out to the court last year that Condor had previously benefited from a €380 million German loan to save it from bankruptcy following the collapse
Ryanair won its appeal against German state funding for Condor, based in Frankfurt, in June of last year. The decision by the EU General Court judges to deny Condor a €550 million loan during the COVID outbreak was overturned.
However, the court only put a hold on the commission's decision to accept the help, rather than ruling on whether it was legitimate. The judges required additional time to evaluate the German agreement in order to guarantee that it adhered with EU law.
After reassessing the situation, the commission decided to allow the German government to finance Condor €321.2 million in order to help the carrier get back on its feet.
