Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 25 April 2024 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Consiglio di Stato – Italy) – Autorità di regolazione dei trasporti v Lufthansa Linee Aeree Germaniche, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, Lufthansa Cargo

(Case C-204/23, ¹ Lufthansa Linee Aeree Germaniche and Others)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling – Air transport – Airport charges – Directive 2009/12/EC – Article 11(5) – Funding for the independent supervisory authority – Contribution from airport users – Criteria for taxation)

Language of the case: Italian

Referring court

Consiglio di Stato

Parties to the main proceedings

Appellant: Autorità di regolazione dei trasporti

Respondents: Lufthansa Linee Aeree Germaniche, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines Ltd, Lufthansa Cargo

Intervening party: Presidenza del Consiglio dei ministri

Operative part of the judgment

Article 11(5) of Directive 2009/12/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2009 on airport charges

must be interpreted as not precluding national legislation under which funding for an independent supervisory authority is secured by levying a financial contribution on airport users, the amount of which does not correlate to the cost of services provided by that authority, in so far as such legislation complies with the general principles of EU law, in particular the principles of proportionality and non-discrimination.

Article 11(5) of Directive 2009/12

must be interpreted as not precluding national legislation under which funding for an independent supervisory authority is secured by levying a financial contribution on airport users, even if they are not established in the Member State covered by that authority or incorporated under the law of that Member State.

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¹ OJ C 189, 30.5.2023.