Ryanair offer on state-aid fine

Michael O'Leary, chief executive of Ryanair reported 28 October 2004 that the airline had offered to pay 4m euros sought by the Belgian authorities in a state-aid case into an independently managed escrow account. After swearing five months ago that Ryanair would never hand over a single euro, Mr O'Leary has kept up a barrage of abuse against the decision by the European Commission, announced in February 2004, that various benefits Ryanair received at Charleroi airport, south of Brussels, had constituted illegal state aid.

Ryanair: Press Release, 03.02.04: We welcome the European Commission’s decision on the Brussels Charleroi cost base http://www.ryanair.com/en/news/reg-en-030204

BBC News: Ryanair to repay illegal subsidy, 28.10.04 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3962797.stm

ECJ: Press Release, No.97, 2008: Judgment of the Court of First Instance in Case T-196/04 Ryanair v Commission http://curia.europa.eu/en/actu/communiques/cp08/aff/cp080097en.pdf

BBC News, 17.12.08: Ryanair wins Belgian aid appeal http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7787351.stm

Ryanair: Press Release, 17.12.08: Ryanair Delighted at EU Court’s Dismissal of Charleroi Case http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/news.php?yr=08&month=dec&story=gen-en-171208

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