Complaint against Air France

Ryanair Holdings PLC
11 May 2006





               Ryanair Launches €1 Billion in State Aid Complaint

                               Against Air France

Ryanair, Europe's largest low fares airline, today (Thursday, 11th May 2006)
announced that it had launched a complaint to the European Commission against
Air France regarding approximately €1 billion in illegal state aid that Air
France has received from the French Government over the past number of years.
The French Government has maintained an airport charging system whereby landing
and passenger charges for domestic routes are often up to 50% lower than on
routes between France and other EU Member States. This is illegal under European
law and the European Commission has sued other Governments for similar
differentiated charging.

As a result of this unfair price advantage Air France has received almost a €1
billion in illegal state aid, which has furthered their dominance in the French
market and has placed competitors like Ryanair at a serious competitive
disadvantage. Ryanair have therefore called on the European Commission to
require the French Government to regularise their charging system and to force
Air France to repay this illegal state aid.

Announcing the complaint against Air France, Ryanair's Head of Regulatory
Affairs, Jim Callaghan, said:

        'Air France has a rampant monopoly in the French market and this
        dominance has been enhanced by the illegal airport charging system that
        has been maintained in France, despite rulings by the European
        Commission in other EU member states. These substantially lower charges
        on domestic French routes, on which Air France has an almost complete
        monopoly, have allowed them to make super profits on domestic routes and
        to cross subsidise their international routes, on which they compete
        with airlines like Ryanair. As a result, France is the only major EU
        country that does not have a significant low fares airline presence.

        'For far too long, the French Government have been protecting Air France
        from competition and this is the most blatant example. Ryanair are now
        asking the European Commission to take urgent action against the French
        Government and to force Air France to repay this illegal state aid in
        order to remove the distortion of competition in the French market'.

Ends. Thursday, 11th May 2006

For further information:

Peter Sherrard - Ryanair     Pauline McAlester - Murray Consultants

Tel: [phone]       Tel: [phone]



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