High Court slaps down Dublin airport’s attempt to prevent a low-cost car hire firm’s operation
The Irish High Court ruled that the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) breached competition law by attempting to block a low-cost car hire firm from using airport facilities. The court found the DAA's actions were an abuse of its dominant market position.
Why it matters
This ruling reinforces competition law protections against state-backed entities that attempt to stifle smaller competitors to protect existing revenue streams.
DUBLIN AIRPORT AUTHORITY (DAA) acted in clear breach of competition law when it sought to prevent a low-cost car hire firm from using facilities at Dublin Airport to pick up and drop off customers from its base outside the airport, the High Court has ruled.
ER Travel Limited, which has been operating an off-airport, car-hire service at Dublin Airport since 2015, claimed DAA had infringed EU and Irish competition legislation by abusing its dominant position.
The company, which operates a similar model at Cork Airport as well as other airports in the UK and the US, also argued DAA had not afforded it fair procedures as well as maintaining that DAA’s bye-laws relating to businesses operating at Dublin Airport were ultra vires.
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