Ryanair and Malta Air have successfully challenged a Covid-era decision by the European Commission to approve a total of €11 billion ($12.1 billion) state aid to Air France-KLM. The EU General Court ruled on 20 December that despite a majority of the funds being made available solely to Air France, it would also benefit parent company Air France-KLM, harming competition. Outlining its decision, the General Court says that Air France-KLM were capable of "benefiting, at least indirectly, from the advantage granted by the state aid at issue". The Commission approved €7 billion in French aid to Air France in 2020 and a further €4 billion recapitalization for Air France-KLM in 2021, intended to provide financial relief to the airline industry amid the pandemic. Air France-KLM says that it "will carefully study" the judgements and consider whether to appeal. "In parallel, they will contribute to any exchange between the French State and the European Commission with a view to the adoption of possible new approval decisions," it adds. Ryanair is calling on the European Commission to order France to reclaim the aid. “Today’s judgments confirm that the Commission must act as a guardian of the level playing field in air transport and cannot sign-off discriminatory State aid issued by national governments. The Court’s intervention is a triumph for fair competition and consumers across the EU,” comments a Ryanair spokesperson. Ryanair has launched several legal challenges against what it calls unfair subsidies to domestic carriers provided through the pandemic, with varying success. A lower EU court had previously overturned the EU's approval of a €6 billion German recapitalisation for Lufthansa in May. The airline is currently challenging that decision.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has formed a three-person panel mandated to address air traffic controller fatigue and find ways to reduce it. The panel's investigation will commence in early January. A final report is due to the FAA "about six weeks later", the government agency states. Formation of the panel comes on the heels of a New York Times investigative piece published on 2 December with the headline "Drunk and asleep on the job: air traffic controllers pushed to the brink". Panel members include chair Mark Rosekind, a safety and sleep/fatigue professional and former member of the National Transportation Safety Board; Charles Czeisler, chief and senior physician with the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston; and Erin Flynn-Evans, head of the NASA Ames Research Center Fatigue Countermeasures Laboratory. "The three-member panel will examine how the latest science on sleep needs and fatigue considerations could be applied to controller work requirements and scheduling," the FAA says.

Amsterdam's Schiphol airport announced that there is room for 483,000 flights at the airport in 2024, instead of 460,000 flights previously determined in the experimental scheme, provided that peak times are relieved. The airport says it is planning to provide capacity for 293,000 flights in the summer season, from 31 March to 26 October, instead of the previously announced 280,000 flights. It adds that a limited reduction is needed at peak times to allow for safe and stable operations and the airlines have agreed to help with it. The announcement follows suspension of the experimental scheme by the Minister of I&W on 14 November and his request to take Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL), the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee and Customs into account during the process to determine the capacity. The independent slot coordinator will discuss with airlines how the number of flights during peak times can be reduced. The consultation for the winter season, from 27 October to 30 March, will follow later in 2024. KLM says it is pleased to hear Schiphol's announcement as it will enable it to continue its recovery post pandemic. It adds that although it now has only three months to make the necessary arrangements instead of the usual six, it will do everything possible to operate the number of allocated flights.