BUCHAREST (Romania), February 24 (SeeNews) – The European Commission said on Monday that the public funding granted by Romania to Timisoara International Airport between 2007 and 2009 does not qualify as illegal state aid.
The Commission also cleared the fees payable by all airlines using the airport and the charges to be paid by Wizz Air in favour of the airport on the basis of individual agreements, it said in a press release.
In May 2011, following a complaint by Carpatair, a company active on the European air transport market, and on the basis of further information, the Commission opened an in-depth investigation to assess whether certain measures in favour of Timisoara Airport and Wizz Air were in line with EU State aid rules.
This concerned in particular the public funding granted to the Timisoara airport manager between 2007 and 2009, the schemes of airport charges and related discounts adopted in 2007, 2008 and 2010 and some agreements signed in 2008 between the airport manager and Wizz Air.
The Commission found that certain public funds received by the airport manager between 2007 and 2009 were used to either finance non-economic activities at the airport, or did not grant any economic advantage to the airport. Furthermore, the remaining publicly financed investments were fully compatible with the 2005 State Aid Aviation Guidelines, which were in force at that time, according to the EC.
Also, the 2007, 2008 and 2010 schemes of airport charges, including their discounts and rebates, applied to all airlines at the Timisoara Airport in the same manner.
Finally, the 2008 agreements with Wizz Air were incrementally profitable for the airport and a prudent market economy operator would have entered into such arrangements, the Commission explained.
Timisoara Airport is an international airport located in western Romania. With over 1.6 million passengers per year, it is the third largest airport in the country. Timisoara Airport is operated by Societatea Nationala Aeroportul International Timisoara – Traian Vuia – S. A.