Lufthansa and Air France-KLM sue Irish regulator over Ryanair competition dispute
Lufthansa and Air France-KLM have filed a lawsuit against Ireland's aviation authority, accusing it of failing to act against Ryanair. The low-cost carrier threatens to leave the Airlines for Europe association.
The chief executives of Lufthansa and Air France-KLM have taken legal action against the Irish aviation regulator, claiming it does not enforce rules that would curb Ryanair's aggressive pricing. Both airlines argue that unchecked low-cost competition harms their higher-priced business models. Ryanair, which has long been a rival to Lufthansa's CEO Carsten Spohr, responded by warning it may withdraw from the joint lobbying group Airlines for Europe (A4E).
The dispute also involves other members such as Easyjet and International Airlines Group. The lawsuit highlights growing tensions within Europe's airline industry over market fairness.
