<p>Irish low-cost airline Ryanair on Wednesday lost its attempt in an EU court to block massive public bailouts of rival companies such as Air France and SAS, a statement said.</p>.<p>"This aid scheme is appropriate to remedy the economic damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and does not constitute discrimination," the EU's lower General Court, based in Luxembourg, said in a statement, in reference to the French case.</p>.<p>Ryanair has pursued a legal campaign across Europe to stop bailout deals for the bloc's legacy airlines, arguing the state aid gives them an unfair advantage.</p>.<p>The Irish flyer lost two cases on Wednesday: one involving a tax delay for Air France and other French airlines, and another that offers loan guarantees for Sweden's airlines, mainly SAS.</p>.<p>The court said that the limitation of the loan guarantee scheme to Swedish airlines "is appropriate for achieving the objective of remedying the serious disturbance in Sweden's economy".</p>.<p>The losses in court for Ryanair were just a first round, with the cases now potentially moving to the higher European Court of Justice.</p>.<p>Ryanair -- Europe's biggest airline in terms of passenger numbers -- is also seeking to undo Germany's massive bailout of Lufthansa in the EU courts.</p>
<p>Irish low-cost airline Ryanair on Wednesday lost its attempt in an EU court to block massive public bailouts of rival companies such as Air France and SAS, a statement said.</p>.<p>"This aid scheme is appropriate to remedy the economic damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and does not constitute discrimination," the EU's lower General Court, based in Luxembourg, said in a statement, in reference to the French case.</p>.<p>Ryanair has pursued a legal campaign across Europe to stop bailout deals for the bloc's legacy airlines, arguing the state aid gives them an unfair advantage.</p>.<p>The Irish flyer lost two cases on Wednesday: one involving a tax delay for Air France and other French airlines, and another that offers loan guarantees for Sweden's airlines, mainly SAS.</p>.<p>The court said that the limitation of the loan guarantee scheme to Swedish airlines "is appropriate for achieving the objective of remedying the serious disturbance in Sweden's economy".</p>.<p>The losses in court for Ryanair were just a first round, with the cases now potentially moving to the higher European Court of Justice.</p>.<p>Ryanair -- Europe's biggest airline in terms of passenger numbers -- is also seeking to undo Germany's massive bailout of Lufthansa in the EU courts.</p>