EU court ruling could have bearing on dispute over Tampere-Pirkkala Airport - writes an English-language business
newspaper from Helsinki.
"A ruling by the Court of First Instance of the European Union could have bearing on a dispute between the European Commission and Finnish aviation officials concerning the Tampere-Pirkkala Airport. The European Commission is currently looking into whether or not Ryanair has benefited from illegal state support to help it set up at Terminal 2 [there].
Also under investigation is if the support received by the state-owned Finavia, which runs Finland’s airports, and its subsidiary Airpro, for changes at the second terminal were proper.
In Wednesday’s ruling, the court found that Belgium had not given Ryanair any support that a private investor might not have given in a similar situation. Finavia has put forward a similar argument.
Finavia Director-General Samuli Haapasalo says that the significant matter is that the “business case is well founded”.
“The business activities have constantly been on the plus side, even though the situation has become challenging in recent times”, he says.
Haapasalo says that other airlines are welcome to use the modest second terminal at Pirkkala. In his view, the special arrangements with Ryanair have not deprived the first terminal of any business.
Finavia’s papers have been under examination by investigators of the European Commission throughout the autumn. Next, officials of the Commission will be making calculations of their own in the matter.
A decision is expected early next year. What is significant, is how much the return expected by ordinary private investors in Pirkkala’s Second Terminal differs from the yield that Ryanair is getting now.
“The difference in business profit is between a few per cent, to more than ten”, Haapasalo says.
On Wednesday, representatives of Ryanair called on the Commission to drop its investigations into Tampere-Pirkkala Airport, and those of several other airports.