Ryanair Lodges Complaint against Air France

Ryanair, the low-cost airline out of Europe, has filed a further complaint with the European Commission accusing rival Air France-KLM of trying to block competition.

The move comes after the French airline took action to prevent Ryanair from using Marseille airport. As per the information available, Ryanair had planned to base two planes at Marseille, serving 13 routes.

Air France said it had appealed last week to the Council of State, France´s highest administrative body, against lower fees offered to Ryanair at the airport in southern France.

“This is the latest in a long line of abuses by Air France to protect their stranglehold on the French market,” Ryanair said in a statement. It added the complaint was in response to Air France filing a case at France´s top civil court, alleging that Marseille was breaching the law by offering discount airlines cut-price fees at its second, no-frills terminal.

Ryanair added its complaint about Air France was submitted on the basis of “an abuse of dominance under the European competition rules”.

“In no other European member state does the national airline hold such a dominant position and engage in such abusive practices in order to block competition,” it added.

Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Air France´s chief executive, said Marseilles airport was charging Ryanair €1.2 a passenger, against the €6 paid by the full carriers.