The Effect of COVID-Related EU State Aid on the Level Playing Field for Airlines

State aid for airlines around the world has been a common practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the air transport was one of the sectors most heavily affected. This study analyzes 27 cases of state aid to EU airlines between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2021 with a total amount of €31 billion....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2022-02, Vol.14 (4), p.2368
Main Authors: Martín-Domingo, Luis, Martín, Juan Carlos
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air transportation
Aircraft
Airline industry
Airlines
Alliances
Aviation
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Pandemics
Shipping industry
Subsidies
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Summary:State aid for airlines around the world has been a common practice during the COVID-19 pandemic, as the air transport was one of the sectors most heavily affected. This study analyzes 27 cases of state aid to EU airlines between 1 March 2020 and 30 September 2021 with a total amount of €31 billion. The information was obtained from the area of competition of the European Commission (EC), which is the entity responsible for final approval. Results indicate that the largest EU economies (Germany and France), as well as some Northern European countries, are supporting national airlines more extensively. Airlines with a weaker financial performance before the pandemic were more likely to receive state aid. Government involvement in the airline industry during the recent health crisis will have an important influence on the level playing field (LPF) for airlines. It is still unclear how this will evolve in the future, but it seems that some airlines now resemble the public flag companies of the past.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su14042368