Ryanair (FR, Dublin International) has filed a complaint with the European Commission's antitrust watchdog and the German Bundeskartellamt following the German federal government's decision to guarantee a EUR150 million (USD176 million) bridging loan to bankrupt Air Berlin (1991) (Berlin Tegel).

The loan is critical to Air Berlin and its continuation of flight operations given that its largest shareholder, Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International), is unwilling to inject any further capital into it.

In a typically brash statement, the Irish LCC said there was an "obvious conspiracy" playing out in Germany between the German Government, Lufthansa, and Air Berlin to carve up Air Berlin's assets.

"This manufactured insolvency is clearly being set up to allow Lufthansa to take over a debt-free Air Berlin which will be in breach of all known German and EU competition rules," the statement said adding that the process had excluded major competitors while ignoring both EU competition and state aid rules.

It is recalled that Air Berlin acknowledged in its application for insolvency on Tuesday, August 15, that it was in talks with Lufthansa and "other partners" to sell off parts of its business.

Reuters has since quoted a person familiar with the matter as saying that easyJet (London Luton) is one of the firms being courted.

"The goal has been to keep out Ryanair," the person said.