Ryanair's battle with German national carrier Lufthansa took another twist yesterday when a German court restored its right to use the name "Frankfurt-Hahn" when advertising flights to its German hub.
The budget airline welcomed the decision, pointing out that "Frankfurt-Hahn" was the airport's legal name. The International Air Travel Association (IATA) designated the airport, in aviation terms, part of the greater Frankfurt area in 1998.
"We want to sincerely thank the Appeals Court in Cologne for this decision," said Mr Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive. "The decision to overturn Lufthansa's previous injunction is the correct one. It reflects the reality of the German market."
Last March a court in Cologne forbade Ryanair from using the name "Frankfurt-Hahn" until it clarified in its advertising that the airport was 120 kilometres from Frankfurt.
The court ruled that, despite the airport's official name, the airline was deliberately misleading consumers and breaching German consumer law.
The court said the name "Frankfurt-Hahn" was "a purely artificial creation" that existed for economic reasons, "without any historical or geographical basis".
The airline clarified the location of the airport in its advertisements and continued using the name. Yesterday's decision frees it from this obligation.
A Lufthansa spokeswoman said yesterday that the airline "regretted" the decision.
"We still assume that this is misleading for consumers," said the spokeswoman, adding that Lufthansa would "endeavour to seek clarity in the matter".
The successful appeal is a boost to Ryanair's expansion plans into the German market. The airline will have 10 new flights operating from Frankfurt-Hahn airport by the year end.
The company says that more than 1.5 million customers have passed through its German hub to date.
"This decision by the Cologne Appeals Court will promote competition and lower fares in Germany, and will therefore have the support of many millions of German consumers," said Mr O'Leary.
Last week the Irish airline restarted its war of words with Lufthansa, offering free flights on its German routes if Ireland beat Germany in last Wednesday's World Cup match.
Despite the match ending in a draw, the company said it would announce details of a flight giveaway next week.
