The European Commission has approved €2.2 million sated aid to support the operators of Flemish airports (Kortrijk airport, Antwerp airport and Ostend-Bruges airport).
The measures in a nutshell
- An aid scheme, under which all Flemish airport operators will receive support in the form of a direct grant;
- Support to the operators of Antwerp and Ostend airports in the form of payment deferrals of certain costs and fees (namely annual compensation for the use of statutory staff of the Flemish Region and concession fee for the use of the airport infrastructure due for the year 2020).
The purpose of the aid measures is to help Flemish airport operators mitigating the liquidity shortages that they have been facing due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Commission found the measures to be in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. Some of the points are :
- The measures can only be granted until the end of this year;
- The direct grants do not exceed €800,000 per company, as provided by the Temporary Framework
- The payment deferrals will be granted by 31 December 2020, and will be due by no later than 31 December 2021 and involve minimum remuneration, in line with the Temporary Framework.
The Commission concluded that the measures are necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the measures under EU State aid rules.
