International News

It keeps more Ryanair. The low-cost airline, offering unbeatable prices every month and opens new destinations this year will become the first European carrier. With 65 million passengers pass it to Air France and Lufthansa. This success, however, relies on flamboyant resort to illegal aid from airports served.

According to Air France, the aid would have amounted to 660 million euros in Europe in 2008, including 35 million in France. Based on its estimates, the company has decided to refer the case to the European Commission, confirming the details of Figaro. The complaint should be filed against Ryanair in the coming weeks, includes several charges: "lack of prior notification," "breach of equality and distortion of competition ',' illegal state aid.

Air France has conducted a proper investigation before doing so.This included all decrypted reports of regional chambers of accounts (CRC) on the subject. Using data sometimes old, crossed with his information on the field, experts have reconstructed the puzzle of allegedly illegal subsidies received by Ryanair. It shows that on average, chambers of commerce and industry, who manage airports, support the activities of Ryanair in France up 9 to 32 euros per enplaned.

A cultural crusade

From the bottom of the range found in France (using a 11 euros per passenger) and by a simple rule of three with the European operations of Ryanair (60 million passengers in 2008), Air France said that its competitor has received this year 660 million euros of aid to Europe. In support of its investigation, the French company relied on its partners KLM and Alitalia.She has found that the aid granted to Ryanair at the airport of Ostend and Alghero were above its low estimate of 11 euros.

"It's a bit weak reasoning, recognizes a part of Air France. There is no organization in Europe that will do the job of regional chambers of accounts. But the 11 euros of aid per passenger is carried in Europe by the airport we could see. We therefore believe that Ryanair affects 660 million euros in Europe. "

Pushing his argument further, Air France calculates that Ryanair, which posted a net profit of 390 million for its fiscal year 2007-2008 and a loss of 169 million in 2008-2009, has been virtually lost 270 million in 2008 and 829 million last year.

The aid takes several forms.They can be direct, as aid to start extending in contradiction with EU legislation. It also aids "indirect" form of rebate granted on ground handling and airport charges.

The method Ryanair is known: for aid in exchange for an airport serving unprofitable, the company highlights the financial windfall of Anglo-Saxon tourists it carries. In case of refusal, or if the aid is criticized, it selects a nearby airport.

This crusade Air France is not the new episode of a commercial battle, since he rarely Ryanair frontally competition. It is more cultural. "The prices charged by Ryanair give a false perception of the value of our service to passengers, said a part of Air France.The Irish company is considered the musketeer who is offering unbeatable prices respond to national companies and terminate abnormally high rates. In fact, Ryanair flies with the European taxpayers' money. "

Ryanair responds to accusations

Contacted by Le Figaro, Ryanair denies receiving any state aid on the airports where it operates. According to the spokesman of the company, "Air France is who receives illegal subsidies in the form of reductions in airport taxes on its domestic routes in France. "We do not pay attention to false claims of companies such as Air France who perform high prices and fuel surcharges, said the spokesman of the company.They complain because they can not make us competitive. "Ryanair has been traveling 6 million people in the departure or arrival of the French regions and said" support 6 000 jobs in France. In addition, Ryanair announced that "the economic model of Air France is in danger because the company can match its prices. This explains the false accusations. "

Air Problems

Air traffic may experience some disruption on Wednesday and Thursday. An Inter-CGT-CGC-FO Unsa air traffic controllers said it was maintaining its notice to strike despite a meeting with Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau. Twelve thousand agents are concerned. They deal in particular security and air traffic management. The airlines will then induced to delay or cancel their flights. "We expect a fairly important to strike then strong enough disruption to our services. We warned these companies of significant disturbance to predict, "warns the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). This should provide future traffic forecasts. Travelers are advised to check their flights before going on site. Several airports, such as Lille or Brest Britain, are already experiencing delays.Trade union sources suggest even the possibility of "Operation Snail" on access to airports.

Reason: the Inter asks the Government to reconsider its policy of non-renewal of retirement on two, or 400 job cuts in two years. The unions also fear a dismantling of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in favor of a merger of services under the FABEC (block functional space common to Germany, Benelux and Switzerland) .

Officials should stop work

They are asked to raise next January 21 by the CGT, FSU, Solidaires, the NMS-CFDT and UNSA-Education.

Reason: they demand an immediate halt job cuts. According to them, in 2010, the State and public services will suffer their worst year in the budget with 30,000 job cuts.Since 2007, this will total more than 100,000 jobs have been eliminated. "Education is very particularly hard hit with more than 16,000 job cuts, totaling more than 40,000 jobs," said a statement of the UNSA-Education. A common departure is planned in Paris, Place de la Republique and 14h. "This movement must be sustainable, unions warn.

The maritime transport of goods affected

In continuation of the strike on January 4, a social movement paralyzes the major French ports since the beginning of the week. The mobilization could still continue. Monday, at the invitation of the National Federation of Ports and Docks CGT workers stopped work in Marseille, Dunkerque, Nantes-Saint Nazaire, Rouen, Bordeaux, La Rochelle and Le Havre. In the Normandy ports, they were almost 90% to strike. In Marseilles and Fos, fifteen vessels were affected.At Havre, the container terminals were very disturbed.

Reason: after the port reform, the CGT claimed the government guarantees employment, including the arduous, and investment. The union wants the expansion of the national collective agreement to river ports and fishing ports and want more information on the transfer of personnel handling to the private sector. The seven autonomous ports French in 2008 employed nearly 31,700 people. However, their market share relative to their European competitors continues to decline.

Mobilization to the Court of Appeal of Amiens

The unions and leftist parties called the 1120 employees of the factory Continental Clairoix to demonstrate to the Court of Appeal of Amiens on Wednesday.

Reason: the first trial court had sentenced heavily Compiegne six demonstrators protesting against the closure of their factory.The objective of the Inter is to obtain the release of six persons convicted of "looting" of the sub-prefecture of Compiegne April 21 last. That day, nearly 200 employees occupy the factory sub-prefecture, after learning they were rejected by the justice of their demand to cancel the procedure of closure. The trial will take place at 13:30.

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The Paris Bourse started the week higher, recovering some lost ground over the last two sessions last week (-1.16% to close Thursday and Friday -0.95%). Around 13 hours, the CAC 40 was up 0.95% at 3830.61 points, including increased growth of the beautiful side of U.S. markets. In an exchange volume down (barely 875 million euros at mid-session), the famous rally Year-end "appears to be a good reason for investors to" play "on the rise.

No statistics are expected today, which should contribute to the sluggish trade.On the rest of the week (end of quotes provided 13 hours Thursday and closing of the Exchange Friday), the third estimate of U.S. GDP for the third quarter and the sales figures in the real estate professional in the U.S. will be watched.

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This is Thomson, which holds the top of the display values of the SBF 120, displaying a great increase of 7.81% to 0.94 euro. The restructuring of debt of Thomson, which must be approved by two thirds of its creditors, has already been accepted on Monday by two of the three committees of creditors who must decide, said the French group said in a statement.

Other important information on Monday and welcomed by the market: a joint venture of Safran (+3.56%) and General Electric was selected in the manufacture of aircraft engines by China to equip future aircraft have to compete A320.

In the ACC, Total wins 1.93%, to 43.4 euros after winning a license contract in Algeria for gas fields of Ahnet.

According Wansquare, Jacques Lenormand, deputy CEO, responsible for driving strategic financial and Credit Agricole (just 1%), going from the facility in a few weeks.

The group involved in banking, in an interview with the daily Le Soir, Pierre Mariani, the CEO of Dexia (3.18%), higher up the leading index in Paris) says it plans to show a fourth quarter in the green.

The action Natixis, it takes 2.51%, to 3.35 euros. The Exchange welcomes the restructuring of the BFI and Jean-Marc Moriani will leave office.

In an interview with Le Figaro, CEO and founder of Iliad (+0.33%), the parent of Free, Xavier Niel puts the figure at 2.8 billion euros by 2012 for its surplus of operation.

NicOx (-0.97%) lifted about 100 million euros in its capital increase.

Sanofi-Aventis coward 1.04%, to 54.13 euros. The group announced the discontinuation of development of two products, one in the treatment of insomnia and the other in the atrial fibrillation.

CNP Assurances (+0.12%) has exercised the option to sell part of its 11.34% stake in Natixis Global Asset Management.