Brussels has relaxed state aid rules for hundreds of airports in the EU in a move the European Commission hopes will boost infrastructure and cut red tape.

The shift in rules for regional airports means that EU governments will no longer have to obtain commission approval before investing in the infrastructure of existing facilities with fewer than 3m passengers a year.

While the 420 airports affected represent 80 per cent of those in the EU, they account for only 13 per cent of air traffic.

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