From 1 March 2025 to 28 February 2026, the aviation and
space sectors have seen notable developments in EU competition law. The
European Commission cleared the Safran/Collins and Boeing/Spirit mergers only
after securing structural divestment commitments, while unconditionally
approving several other transactions including the SES/Intelsat consolidation.
State aid activity focused on the amendment and management of existing cases,
as well as approval of new aid for regional airports, as well as for
sustainable aviation fuel and space research. The period also saw significant
judicial activity, with the General Court dismissing Ryanair’s challenges to
COVID-19-related State aid decisions and the Court of Justice delivering
judgments in the long-running air cargo cartel cases.