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. 2020 Jul 16;87:101863. doi: 10.1016/j.jairtraman.2020.101863

Table 3.

Government support conditions for the largest European airlines.

Airline (Group) Key points/explanations
Air France-KLM Air France
  • French government package of €7bn (€3 bn in loans, €4 bn in state-guaranteed funds)

  • Carbon emission reductions; discontinuation of domestic routes where railway connections of under 2.5 h are available as alternatives

  • Profitability targets (unspecified as yet)

  • Air France has to remain a loyal customer of Airbus (the airline's short-haul fleet is all-Airbus, the widebody fleet has been tilted towards Boeing during recent fleet updates)

KLM
  • Dutch government is preparing €2bn to €4bn.

The respective state support packages can only be used for each airline separately. Both governments own ca. 14% in the airline construct, respectively.
IAG
  • Tapped ca. €1.2bn from coronavirus emergency funds in UK and Spain; no bailout package yet

Lufthansa Group Lufthansa
  • German government package of €9bn: €5.7bn as loan at 4%, €3bn credit facility by state-owned bank, €300m in return for 20% government stake in the company

  • Two seats on Lufthansa's supervisory board to be filled in agreement with the German state

  • Government option to increase stakes to 25% plus one share to block potential takeover

  • Waiver of future dividend payments and senior management salary restrictions likely

  • Carbon emission reduction measures demanded (but unspecified as yet)

  • EU commission approval requirement: ceding take-off and landing rights to competitors at major hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, as well as giving up aircraft to competitors

Austrian Airlines
  • Negotiations with Austrian government under way

  • Likely conditions: environmental goals, stakes for government, guarantees for hub at Vienna

Brussels Airlines
  • Negotiations under way, airline asked for €290m from Belgian government

  • Likely conditions: outline of future airline plan, continuation of hub at Brussels

Swiss International Air Lines
  • Swiss government provides €1.2bn

  • No outflows to parent company abroad allowed

  • Future earnings priority use: repay state aid; dividends forbidden until that is completed

easyJet
  • Tapped ca. €660m from coronavirus emergency funds in UK; no bailout package yet

Ryanair
  • Tapped ca. €660m from coronavirus emergency funds in UK; officially opposes bailout packages

Data sources: BBC, CNN, Forbes, Handelsblatt, Simpleflying, The Guardian.