LUXEMBOURG – Inkampani yezindiza eshibhile yase-Ireland, iRyanair Holdings PLC, ngoLwesibili ilahlekelwe yinkantolo enkantolo neKhomishana yaseYurophu mayelana nokuthi ingasithatha yini imbangi i-Aer Lingus Group PLC.
I-European Union's General Court inqume ukuthi i-European Commission yayilungile ukuvimba ibhidi lokuthatha iRyanair lenkampani yangaphambili yombuso.
Inkantolo iphinde yasisekela isinqumo sekhomishana sokuthi iRyanair akudingeki ukuthi ihlukanise amasheya ayo amancane e-Aer Lingus.
Inkantolo ithe izikhundla eziphezulu ebezizodalwa emizila ethile ngenxa yokuhlanganiswa yizizathu ezanele zokuthi ikhomishini ivimbe isivumelwano.
INkantolo Jikelele iphinde yavumelana nokwenqaba kwekhomishana ukuyala iRyanair ukuthi ihlukanise amasheya ayo amancane e-Aer Lingus, njengoba ukubanjwa kwawo kungakuniki amandla okulawula inkampani, kusho inkantolo esitatimendeni. Ngemuva kokwenziwa kwangasese kwe-Aer Lingus ngo-2006, iRyanair yethula umzamo wokuthatha, owavinjwa yiziphathimandla ze-European Union zokungathembeki ngezizathu zokuthi kuzokwehlisa ukuncintisana e-Ireland kube sezingeni elingamukeleki.
Naphezu kwebhidi ehlulekile, iRyanair yasala ibambe isigxobo esincane esilinganisweni sayo sase-Ireland, namuhla esimi ku-29.8%, eduze nomngcele lapho bekuzophoqeleka khona ngokomthetho ukwethula isipho sayo yonke inhloko-dolobha.
Isikhulu seRyanair, uMichael O'Leary, uthe ngoLwesibili inkampani yenethiwekhi ayinazo izinhlelo ezisheshayo zokunikeza i-Aer Lingus isithembiso sesithathu, "okungenzeka noma isiphi isigameko siphumelele ngaphandle uma uhulumeni wase-Ireland enquma ukuthengisa amasheya akhe angama-25%. Kodwa-ke, uthe lesi sinqumo asivimbeli iRyanair ekwenzeni esinye isipho, noma.
“Isimo sezimali sesikhathi eside se-Aer Lingus singatholakala kuphela njengengxenye yeqembu elilodwa eliqinile lendiza yase-Ireland, ikakhulukazi lapho ezinye izindiza zase-Europe zihlanganisa izinkampani ezintathu eziyinhloko ezithwala amafulegi, ziholwa yi-Air France, British Airways kanye neLufthansa kanye nezimbili ezinkulu eziphansi. abathwali bemali yokugibela, iRyanair kanye ne-easyJet,” wengeza.
Ngenkathi iRyanair ikhononda enkantolo mayelana nesinqumo sekhomishana sokungavunyelwa ukuthi iqhubeke nezinhlelo zayo zokuthatha impahla, i-Aer Lingus yancenga mayelana nokubamba kukaRyanair u-29.8%, yathi inikeze iRyanair ukulawula okukhulu kwezinhlelo zebhizinisi zendiza.
U-Aer Lingus esitatimendeni uthe angase adlulisele lesi sinqumo eNkantolo Yezobulungiswa YaseYurophu, kodwa uzoqale acubungule isinqumo se-Ryanair esigxotsheni sezindiza "ngokuningiliziwe."
“Kuyadabukisa ukuthi inkantolo ayizange ithathe leli thuba ukuthatha esinye isinyathelo esidingekayo ukuze kubhekwane nemiphumela emelene nokuncintisana yokuba namasheya amancane eRyanair ku-Aer Lingus,” kusho uSihlalo uColm Barrington. Noma kunjalo usamukele isinqumo sokuvimba ukuthatha kukaRyanair.
Isinqumo "siqinisekisa ukuthi ukuthathwa kwe-Aer Lingus yiRyanair kuzolimaza abathengi futhi kuholele emananini aphezulu emizileni yase-Ireland."
Ikhomishana ikwamukele ukwesekwa yinkantolo, ikakhulukazi ukuthi iwuqinisekise kanjani umkhuba wekhomishana wokuhlaziya umthelela wokuhlanganiswa kwezindiza emzileni nomzila.
"Ukuhlanganiswa kweRyanair ne-Aer Lingus bekuzodala isikhundla esiphezulu emizileni engama-35 okulimaza abagibeli be-EU abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyi-14 abahamba beya noma bebuya e-Ireland unyaka nonyaka," kusho ukhomishana wokuncintisana uJoaquin Almunia esitatimendeni.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- The General Court also upheld the commission’s refusal to order Ryanair to divest its minority shareholding in Aer Lingus, as the holding doesn’t confer control of the company, the court said in a statement.
- Following the privatization of Aer Lingus in 2006, Ryanair launched a takeover attempt, which was blocked by the European Union’s antitrust authorities on the grounds that it would reduce competition in Ireland to an unacceptable level.
- Aer Lingus said in a statement that it may appeal the decision to the European Court of Justice, but would first consider the judgment on Ryanair’s stake in the airline “in detail.
