EU Commission Approve 75% Ryanair stake in LaudaMotion
Ryanair have welcomed the EU Commission’s decision to approve Ryanair’s proposed acquisition of a 75% interest in Austrian airline, LaudaMotion. The airline currently has a stake of 24.9% in the company.
The Commission investigated the impact of the proposed transaction on the market for air transport of passengers on the routes from German, Austrian and Swiss airports to leisure destinations in the Mediterranean and Canary Islands, where the activities of Ryanair and LaudaMotion overlap.
The Commission also examined whether LaudaMotion’s portfolio of airport slots to be acquired by Ryanair at different airports would allow Ryanair to prevent competitors from entering or expanding their presence at these airports. Control over a large slot portfolio at congested airports can result in higher barriers to entry for airlines wanting to operate to and from these airports, which in turn could result in higher fares for passengers.
The Commission’s investigation found that:
- the increase in the slot portfolio of Ryanair is unlikely to have a negative effect on passengers, and
- Ryanair will continue to face strong competition from other carriers on the routes to and from airports where the activities of both airlines overlap.
The Commission therefore concluded that the proposed transaction would raise no competition concerns in any of the relevant markets.
Ryanair’s Chief Legal & Regulatory Officer, Juliusz Komorek said “We welcome the EU Commission’s decision to approve Ryanair’s proposed acquisition of a 75% interest in Laudamotion. Ryanair remains committed to bringing competition, choice and low fares to the Austrian, German and Spanish markets through our investment in Laudamotion.”
About the Author
Mark Dwyer Mark is an airline pilot flying the Boeing 737 for a major European airline. In addition he is also a Type Rating Instructor, Type Rating Examiner and Base Training Captain on the B737. Outside of commercial flying Mark enjoys flying light aircraft from the smallest 3 Axis microlights up to heavier singles. He is also an instructor and EASA Examiner on single engines and a UK CAA Examiner. He flies the Chipmunk for the Irish Historic Flight Foundation (IHFF). Mark became the Chairman of the National Microlight Association of Ireland (NMAI) in 2013 and has overseen a massive growth in the organisation. In this role he has worked at local and national levels. In 2015, Mark won ‘Upcoming Aviation Professional Award’ at the Aviation Industry Awards sponsored by the IAA. Mark launched this website back in 2002 while always managing the website, he has also been Editor and Deputy Editor of FlyingInIreland Magazine from 2005 to 2015.
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