Airports, low-cost carriers received illegal aid: EU

[BRUSSELS] Two European airports and a number of budget airlines, including Ryanair and Lufthansa's carrier Germanwings, have been ordered to pay back millions of euros in illegal subsidies, EU regulators said on Wednesday.

The European Commission also warned Belgium that it may be giving unauthorised subsidies to Brussels Airlines.

The Commission rulings come amid a series of investigations in recent years into deals granted by regional authorities to attract budget airlines to secondary European airports.