Ryanair faces EU investigation
The European Commission has launched an investigation into a marketing deal between Ryanair and Montpellier in France.
The probe is to see whether the airline received state aid to promote the region.
"We will investigate whether regional and local authorities in France granted an undue economic advantage to Ryanair over its competitors," European Union Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said in a statement.
The investigation follows a complaint from an unnamed source concerning marketing agreements between the Association for the Promotion of Touristic and Economic Flows and Ryanair and its subsidiary AMS.
The complainant alleged that the agreements amounted to illegal state aid to Ryanair.
Ryanair has received substantial payments from APFTE since 2010 to promote Montpellier and the tourist attractions of the surrounding area on its website.
The APFTE is an independent association, unrelated to the airport operator, and is mainly funded from the public purse.
The opening of an investigation gives interested third parties the opportunity to submit comments.
A spokesman for Ryanair said: "All of Ryanair’s airport arrangements comply fully with EU State aid rules and we are confident that the EU will find our Montpelier deal is in line with EU State aid rules."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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