Flydubai is expanding its European network with the launch of flights from Dubai International airport to Basel, Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius. Four weekly flights to Basel will begin on 2 August, while Riga flights will be operated thrice weekly from 11 October, the UAE-based carrier says. It will also operate thrice weekly services to Tallinn and Vilnius from 12 October. With this, Flydubai has grown its network in Europe to 44 destinations in 21 countries.

The price of jet kerosene has declined to the levels seen at the end of last year, reversing the significant gains seen through the first few weeks of 2023. According to the latest data from energy information provider ICIS – which like Cirium is RLEX-owned – the price per tonne of jet fuel for barge delivery to northwest Europe fell by $21 in the week to 7 May, to $807.25. That compares with $876.75 four weeks ago, a decline of nearly 8%. The price hit nearly $1,000 in February, having reached nearly $1,100 in September. "European jet kerosene spot market prices stayed low this week on upstream softness albeit market activity improved when compared to last few weeks," notes ICIS. It observes that demand is not strong enough to push prices higher, while supply "remains ample amid increased influx of imports and soaring regional stock levels capping any substantial gains in outright values". ICIS adds: "As the market eyes peak summer demand rebound, this appears to be tempered by lack of substantial buying appetite and demand dented by airline strikes in UK and France." Pricing has also eased on the back of weaker crude values, which have declined to seven-week lows of around $83 per barrel. Similar dynamics can be seen elsewhere in the world. In North America, pricing slipped to 248.5 cents per US gallon at New York harbour, down from 277 four weeks ago. In Asia, Singapore prices declined to around $95 per barrel from $107 four weeks ago.

The EU's General Court has annulled a July 2021 decision by the European Commission to approve €321 million ($345 million) in German state aid to local charter airline Condor. In a case bought by Ryanair, the court ruled that the Commission had acted illegally in failing to initiate a formal investigation prior to approving the aid, and should also have questioned whether the aid met burden-sharing requirements – which stipulate that the beneficiary of assistance should share the resulting gains with the state that provided it. "There is nothing in the contested decision to suggest that the Commission ascertained whether the aid at issue had been granted on terms that would afford Germany a reasonable share of future gains in the value of Condor," states the court. "Furthermore, those doubts that the Commission should have had necessarily affect its assessment of the scope of the measures to limit distortions of competition foreseen in its decision and that are applicable to Condor." However, the court also decided that Ryanair could only contest the procedural process of the decision, rather than the content. "Ryanair has not demonstrated that the aid at issue was liable to have a substantial adverse effect on its competitive position and that it was therefore individually concerned by the decision of the Commission," states the court.
An earlier ruling by the court, likewise in a case bought by Ryanair, annulled liquidity support provided to Condor amid the Covid crisis. Welcoming the ruling, Ryanair describes it as a "triumph for fair competition and consumers across the EU". The airline asserts that €40 billion in "discriminatory state subsidies" was given to European legacy carriers during the pandemic. Ryanair is now urging the European Commission to "immediately act to recover these illegal state-aid packages and order remedies to restore at least some of the damage done to competition and consumers".