EU: Commission approves €27 million public support for Dortmund Airport in Germany

Dortmunder Stadtwerke, the majority shareholder, will cover the airport’s operating losses through annual grants. The operating aid aims to keep the airport running until 2023, when it is expected to cover its costs.

The Commission assessed the measure under EU State aid rules, in particular the Aviation Guidelines. It found that the Dortmund airport is not expected to grow at the expense of other airports located within the same catchment area. As a result, the aid is not likely to have a negative impact on the profitability of other airports. On the contrary, the support to Dortmund Airport is likely to contribute positively to decongesting Düsseldorf airport, which is a major airport located in the same catchment area and is currently operating at its capacity limit.

Therefore, the Commission considers that the public support will contribute to the mobility of European Union citizens and improve connections in the densely populated Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area, without unduly distorting competition in the Single Market. On this basis, the Commission concluded that the operating aid is in line with EU State aid rules.