Brussels issues deadline on Ryanair deal

Brussels has given the Belgian authorities until early July to clarify how much budget airline Ryanair received in illegal state aid.

In a letter to the Walloon regional government in mid-June, the European Commission demanded further details on how much money was given to Ryanair to operate from Charleroi, south of Brussels.

"We have given them 15 working days to answer us with more details, which means we are asking for full information from the start of July," a commission spokesman told reporters on Tuesday.

"Then we will see, according to the answers, the follow-up steps."

Brussels wants the full information to calculate how much of the state aid was illegal and how much should be repaid.

In February the EU's transport chief Loyola de Palacio ruled that the carrier benefited unfairly from secret deals with the Wallonia regional government - the owners of the Belgian airport.

As part of a 15 year deal, discounts were given to Ryanair on landing fees and ground-handling charges, as well as deals to help with marketing and pilot training.

The European Commission ordered that 25-30 per cent of the estimated €15 million Ryanair received from Charleroi airport was illegal and would have to be paid back.

An appeal has been filed by Ryanair with the Court of First Instance, the lower chamber of the Luxembourg European Court of Justice.

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