The CMA welcomes today’s judgment by the Court Of Appeal dismissing Ryanair’s challenge on all 3 grounds.

The judgment followed an appeal by Ryanair Holdings plc (Ryanair) against an earlier decision made by the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) in March 2014. The CAT had upheld the decision, originally made by the Competition Commission in August 2013, to require Ryanair to sell its 29.8% stake in Aer Lingus Group plc (Aer Lingus) down to 5%.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) consulted on the making of a final order in this case in November 2013, pending the outcome of the litigation in the Court of Appeal. The CMA group of members which has been carrying out this inquiry will now decide how to proceed in the light of the judgment.

All information on the Ryanair/Aer Lingus merger inquiry can be found on the case page.