The European Commission has approved, under EU state aid rules, €110 million in aid to compensate Athens International Airport SA, the operator of Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, for the damage caused by the coronavirus outbreak and the travel restrictions that Greece and other countries had to implement to limit the spread of the virus.
The measure will allow Greece to compensate the air carrier of Athens airport for the damage suffered during the period between 23 March and 30 June 2020 as a direct result of the coronavirus outbreak and the travel restrictions in place. The aid will take the form of a direct grant and cancellation of concession fees.
Proportional measure
The measure was approved under Article 107(2)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which allows the Commission to authorise State aid measures granted by Member States to compensate companies for damage caused directly by exceptional occurrences such as the coronavirus outbreak.
The Commission has found that the notified measure will compensate for the damage directly linked to the coronavirus outbreak. It also found that the measure is proportionate, as the compensation does not exceed what is necessary to make good the damage.
