BLACKPOOL'S Ryanair passengers could be facing a fares hike because of a European ruling affecting publicly owned airports.

The European Commission has decided it is illegal for publicly owned airports to pay subsidies to airlines such as Ryanair which helps to keep fares low.

A Ryanair spokesman said: "The Commission has now confirmed that publicly owned airports can no longer compete with privately owned airports, and this decision is anti-competitive, anti-consumer and will increase costs which will in turn increase air fares.

"The decision is an attack on all low fare airlines.

"Publicly owned airports and will equally affect Easyjet at Berlin Schonefeld, Toulouse and Marseille, Lufthansa at Leipzig and Munich, and Flybe at Perpignan, Bergerac and La Rochelle for example."

But the company said it was too early to comment on the implications for individual airports, including Blackpool.

Though a fare increase is a possibility, the actual ruling should not affect Blackpool Airport -- even though it is run by a company owned by Blackpool Borough Council.

Cllr Robert Wynne, whose portfolio includes matters at Blackpool Airport, said: "Ryanair don't actually get a subsidy for using Blackpool Airport."

The resort's Dublin and London Stansted routes should therefore be unaffected, he said.

Ryanair has said it will appeal against the EC's decision, made on Tuesday. The ruling came about because Brussels Zaventem Airport complained that the state owned Brussels Charleroi airport was competing unfairly by subsidising airlines.