Germany rejects Ryanair claim that Air Berlin insolvency was staged

Reuters

Published Aug 16, 2017 08:05AM ET

Germany rejects Ryanair claim that Air Berlin insolvency was staged

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany on Wednesday rejected accusations by low-cost airline Ryanair (I:RYA) that Air Berlin's (DE:AB1) filing for insolvency protection was aimed at preparing the German carrier for a takeover by Lufthansa (DE:LHAG).

An economy ministry spokeswoman also said a bridging loan of 150 million euros ($175.5 million) the government has granted Air Berlin did not breach anti-trust rules.