Ryanair welcomes the final decision of the European Court of Justice, which ruled that Lufthansa's €6 billion in state aid during the Covid-19 pandemic was illegal.

The airline is also criticizing both the European Commission and the German government for not yet having reclaimed the estimated 200 million euros in benefits that Lufthansa is said to have received through the aid.

“Today's ruling confirms what has been clear from the beginning: the aid distorted competition,” says a Ryanair spokesperson.

Ryanair says the aid has given Lufthansa an unfair advantage over competitors who were forced to weather the pandemic without government bailouts, and that it continues to negatively impact competition in the German aviation market.

Ryanair is now calling on the European Commission to act and ensure that Germany recovers the aid in accordance with EU regulations.

The issue of state aid to airlines during the pandemic has been controversial, with several actors arguing that the aid has distorted competition in European aviation.