Low fares airline Ryanair has announced that it will appeal against a European court ruling it received concerning illegal incentives to fly to Strasbourg.

A French court of appeal rejected Ryanair’s application for a stay on the previous decision made by the Administrative Tribunal in Strasbourg, which said that the incentive payments constituted illegal state aid and had to cease by 24 September.

Ryanair will continue the temporary suspension of its London to Strasbourg route while it awaits the outcome of an appeal against the latest ruling.

Ryanair’s head of regulatory affairs, Jim Callaghan, said: “We are dismayed with the court’s decision rejecting our application for a stay on the tribunal’s decision, which would have enabled us to reinstate our London-Strasbourg route. We will now have to suspend the route pending the outcome of the appeal, which could take over a year to be heard.”

Callaghan added: “Ryanair will continue to work with our partners in the Strasbourg chamber of commerce to appeal the decision of the Strasbourg administrative tribunal.”

In the meantime, Ryanair has also opened a new route to Baden Baden, which is 40km away, for its customers that wish to continue travelling by Ryanair to the Alsace region. Details: www.ryanair.com