PRESS RELEASE

FINE OF 3 MILLION 365 THOUSAND EURO TO SEA (SERVIZI AEROPORTO MILANO-LINATE) MILAN-LINATE AIRPORT SERVICES FOR ABUSE OF A DOMINANT POSITION

A fine of EUR 3.365 million was imposed by the Antitrust Authority on SEA, the company providing airport services in Milan, for abuse of a dominant position committed as part of the procedure for disposal by Società Acqua Pia Antica Marcia (SAPAM) of the shares equal to 98.3% held by the company ATA Ali Trasporti Aerei and ATA Ali Servizi. SEA – as sole manager of the airport infrastructure of Linate and sub-lessor of ATA – had nullified the results of the competitive process, preventing the entry of Cedicor into the market of infrastructure management and in the provision of handling services.

In particular, SEA has adopted three different types of behaviour: first of all it tried to hinder the procedure started by SAPAM by contesting the inefficiencies and the lack of information in the work of the advisor and the seller; then, when it learnt that Cedicor had presented the best offer, SEA terminated the convention with ATA for alleged breaches by the latter, with the aim of avoiding the final award of the tender to the newly entering operator; finally, in autumn of 2013 it presented a higher offer for the purchase of ATA, finally completed on 18 December 2013 with the signing of a contract with SAPAM.

For the Antitrust Authority this is a very serious abuse that irrevocably altered the competitive market for the management of airport infrastructure AG, inhibit the entry of a new efficient competitor capable of offering a high quality service. In this way SEA also influenced handling services, having acquired the first operator (ATA Ali Servizi) and being able to put in place access policies intended to strengthen its position on the market.

Rome, 02 April 2015