Case T-522/20: Judgment of the General Court of 8 February 2023 — Carpatair v Commission (State aid — Aviation sector — Measures implemented by Romania in favour of Timișoara Airport — Measures implemented by Timișoara Airport in favour of Wizz Air and airlines using that airport — Decision finding, in part, that there was no State aid in favour of Timișoara Airport and airlines using that airport — Airport charges — Action for annulment — Regulatory act — Individual concern — Substantial effect on competitive position — Direct concern — Interest in bringing proceedings — Admissibility — Article 107(1) TFEU — Selective nature — Advantage — Private operator test)
Date: 2023-02-08
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: Romania, State aid, Timis, admissibility, airline, airport, charges for use of infrastructure, control of State aid, modernisation aid








C_2023112EN.01003101.xml










27.3.2023   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 112/31






Judgment of the General Court of 8 February 2023 — Carpatair v Commission
(Case T-522/20) (1)

(State aid - Aviation sector - Measures implemented by Romania in favour of Timișoara Airport - Measures implemented by Timișoara Airport in favour of Wizz Air and airlines using that airport - Decision finding, in part, that there was no State aid in favour of Timișoara Airport and airlines using that airport - Airport charges - Action for annulment - Regulatory act - Individual concern - Substantial effect on competitive position - Direct concern - Interest in bringing proceedings - Admissibility - Article 107(1) TFEU - Selective nature - Advantage - Private operator test)
(2023/C 112/39)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: Carpatair SA (Timişoara, Romania) (represented by: J. Rivas Andrés and A. Manzaneque Valverde, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: F. Tomat and C. Georgieva, acting as Agents)

Interveners in support of the defendant: Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt. (Wizz Air Hungary Zrt.) (Budapest, Hungary) (represented by: E. Vahida, S. Rating and I.-G. Metaxas-Maranghidis, lawyers), Societăţii Naţionale ‘Aeroportul Internaţional Timişoara — Traian Vuia’ SA (AITTV) (Ghiroda, Romania) (represented by: V. Power and R. Hourihan, Solicitors)

Re:

By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/1428 of 24 February 2020 on the State Aid SA.31662 — C/2011 (ex NN/2011) implemented by Romania for Timișoara International Airport — Wizz Air (OJ 2021 L 308, p. 1), in so far as it concludes that certain measures do not constitute State aid within the meaning of Article 107(1) TFEU.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Annuls Article 2 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/1428 of 24 February 2020 on the State Aid SA.31662 — C/2011 (ex NN/2011) implemented by Romania for Timișoara International Airport — Wizz Air in so far as it concludes that the airport charges in the Aeronautical Information Publication of 2010 and the agreements concluded between Societăţii Naţionale ‘Aeroportul Internaţional Timişoara — Traian Vuia’ SA (AITTV) and Wizz Air Hungary Légiközlekedési Zrt. (Wizz Air Hungary Zrt.) in 2008 (including the 2010 amendment agreements) do not constitute State aid;










2.


Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Carpatair SA;










3.


Orders Wizz Air Hungary and AITTV to bear their own costs.






(1)  OJ C 378, 9.11.2020.