Ryanair fears the European Commission will ask it to pay back millions of euros if it rules against the low-cost airline in a state aid case, a company official says.
The low-fares airline is the subject of an investigation by the EU executive into whether the airline received unfair state aid at its Belgian hub of Charleroi, some 40 km south of Brussels.
"It's going to be in the millions," Mr Jim Callaghan, head of regulatory affairs for Ryanair, told a news conference today when asked about the size of fine the Commission might impose.
He added that Ryanair had been briefed informally on the contents of the Commission's draft report in the past few days. The airline intended to appeal if the Commission's decision went against it, he added.
Mr Callaghan said he believed the Commission would rule that some start up costs paid by the airport were acceptable, but it would take a harsher stance against landing fees.
Last week an EU source said the EU executive was likely to rule that some advantages given by regional Belgian authorities to Ryanair are illegal, especially a one euro landing fee.
Belgium's Walloon region gave Ryanair €3.8 million (Stg£2.6 million pounds) in 2002 for publicity and to subsidise a few very low, highly publicised fares offered for a few seats on selected flights.
Mr Callaghan insisted that Ryanair's deal at Charleroi was not significantly different to that which other airlines were offered at private airports.
"If they apply the market investor principle, the case goes away," Mr Callaghan said, meaning that the Commission should take into account how airports operate under normal competitive pressures, regardless of being state-owned or privately-owned.