EU Probes Possible State Aid At Berlin Airport

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Source:aviationheadlines

EU Probes Possible State Aid At Berlin Airport
July 10, 2007

The European Commission said on Tuesday it would investigate the company that owns Berlin's Schoenefeld Airport, Flughafen Schoenefeld, for possibly illegal subsidies to airlines using its facilities.

"The publicly owned company has concluded since 2003 several bilateral contracts with airlines based at the airport," the European Union's top regulator said in a statement.

"These might constitute illegal and incompatible state aid, as they offer these airlines lower airport charges than those foreseen by the published airport charge regulation."

It said Flughafen Schoenefeld was also offering marketing services to companies using the airport and made an exclusive agreement with one airline for lower airport charges and use of the airport's Terminal B. It declined to name the airline.

Separately, the Commission said it would launch investigations into possible state aid at other German airports in Dortmund and Luebeck.