Brussels, September 22, 2025 – The European Commission (EC) has ordered France to recover with interest €1.8m ($2.2m) of illegal aid granted to Irish airline Ryanair as part of agreements with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Carcassonne-Limoux-Castelnaudary (CCI), the public entity that managed the Carcassonne airport until 2011.
The EC investigation, launched in April 2012 following a complaint, examined subsidies granted to CCI, including €9m ($10.6m) in investment aid to modernise infrastructure and €2.7m ($3.2m) in operating support.
The Brussels-based authority concluded the €11.7m ($13.8m) in subsidies complied with EU Aviation Guidelines, finding them necessary and proportionate to keep the regional airport running, while not unduly distorting competition with nearby airports such as Toulouse-Blagnac, Perpignan, Castres-Mazamet, and Béziers.
However, an additional €1.1m ($1.3m) was deemed outside EU State aid rules, as it funded non-market activities such as firefighting and customs services. CCI signed a number of agreements with Ryanair and its subsidiary AMS, which dealt specifically with marketing. During the period, CCI paid out a total of €8.9m ($10.5m) to Ryanair and AMS for marketing services.
The probe scrutinised 16 agreements between CCI and Ryanair (and its subsidiary AMS) covering marketing and airport services. The authority applied the market economy operator principle (MEOP), assessing whether a private operator would have accepted the contracts under normal commercial conditions.
It found that 11 of the contracts provided Ryanair with an undue economic advantage, primarily because CCI increased marketing payments to the airline while simultaneously reducing airport charges. This led to a net benefit of €1.8m for Ryanair, which must now be repaid.
The purpose of recovery is to restore the situation which existed in the internal market before the aid was paid, and hence does not constitute a fine. By paying back the unlawful aid, the beneficiary forfeits the advantage which it has enjoyed over its competitors, the EC said.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_2140
