State aid for airlines in the EU: policy changes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The paper analyses the developments in the EU state aid policy as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic breakout. The general framework for state aid in the EU was presented. Based on a case study analysis of selected airlines that benefited from state aid following the COVID-19 crisis, changes in the European Commission approach were identified. In general, investigation of arrangements between the state aid cases is a complex (and thus often lengthy) process. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic was a challenge for EU member states and the European Commission as well due to the unexpected, turbulent, and very profound nature of the crisis. It made it necessary to look for new or revised policies for state aid to respond quickly and keep airlines afloat in times when the flow of revenue was practically stopped. One of the key issues that needed to be addressed was inflexibility and lengthiness of state aid approval processes. To this end, additional guidelines were introduced to make the state aid policy of the EU more flexible. This way member states could respond to the ongoing developments in a more targeted and objective-oriented approach, which possibly made state aid more efficient. It should be stressed that it could have been achieved without changes to pre-existing legislation and by adjusting executive guidelines instead.