EU: State funds for Alitalia illegal

The Brussels authority announced this on Friday. This could help restore fair competition in the European aviation industry, said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. Italy has repeatedly supported the airline, which has been dependent on state aid for years, with financial injections.

According to the EU Commission, it has been making losses since 2008. The disputed aid concerns payments with which Alitalia was able to keep its operations going. The company was granted a loan of EUR 600 million in May 2017 and a further loan of EUR 300 million a few months later.