Vinci loses damages claim over cancelled airport project

The logo of Vinci is pictured during the company’s 2017 annual results presentation in Paris, France, February 8, 2018. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer/File Photo

PARIS (Reuters) – A French court on Wednesday rejected construction group Vinci’s request for damages of nearly 1.6 billion euros ($1.74 billion) from the government over an airport project, which was dropped after intense protests from environment activists.

“The State was not at fault in abandoning the Notre-Dame-des-Landes airport project for reasons of public interest,” the lower court in the western city of Nantes said in a statement.

The French government abandoned plans for a new airport northwest of Nantes in 2018.

The court said, however, that some damages could be paid for at a later stage, as the termination on grounds of public interest gives entitlement to compensation covering the expenses incurred and lost profits.

The amount of this allowance will be set at a later date, the court said, citing the need to factor in potential profits the group could make if a concession under which its unit operates the Nantes-Atlantique airport were to be extended.

Vinci, which can appeal the decision to the administrative court, could not immediately be reached for comment.

($1 = 0.9208 euros)

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel and Inti Landauro; additional reporting by Diana Mandiá, Editing by GV De Clercq and Tomasz Janowski)