Infrastructure providers often enjoy monopoly or quasi-monopoly status. Therefore, governments and regulators have a vital role to play in maintaining vigorous oversight of charges and development. Airlines also require a formal role in capital investment decisions, since it is airlines that ultimately pay for those investments.
This is why airport charges must be set at levels that enable airlines to satisfy demand for connectivity, that provide a reasonable return on investment, and that allow for sufficient investment in future developments and service quality.
| Position papers Airports | Position papers Airports & ANSP |
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Airport Policy Issues
Airport Ownership & Regulation
The Airport Ownership and Regulation Guidance Booklet (pdf) is a manual for decision-makers in government institutions, airlines and airports exposed to airport privatization. It sets out recommendations for alternative ownership and operating models.
Balanced Concessions for the Airport Industry
Airport concessions represent a contractual relationship between the government and the private sector, with a risk that the interests of contracting parties can take precedence over those of other stakeholders, including airline customers and the economic benefits the airports supports. The Balanced Concession approach identifies aligned interests to target a “virtuous cycle” to benefit the aviation industry, mitigating risk and delivering better public value, and improving consumer experience. Read the Balanced Concessions for the Airport Industry report (pdf).
Airport Governance
Airports are very complex environments with numerous stakeholders. It is not always clear who should be involved in decisions that affect an airports’ development and operations. IATA, working with Deloitte, has surveyed the landscape of airport governance globally and compiled the best practices in airport governance. The toolkit covers community, environment, safety, security, operations and capital project aspects. It is designed to support governments and aviation industry stakeholders to define and implement "win-win" airport governance. Download the IATA Toolkit on Airport Guidance (also available in A4 format).
European Airport Charges Regulation
The CEG Report on Effective regulation of airport market power (pdf) demonstrates how a simple, streamlined approach could allow regulators identify EU airports with significant market power, to which more robust forms of economic regulation would be applied, without forcing passengers to bear the cost of excessive airport charges indefinitely.
Transparency is essential for meaningful consultations on airport charges. Unfortunately, the transparency requirements prescribed in the EU Airport Charges Directive are not detailed enough. Read our guidance: IATA’sTransparency requirements for the determination of airport charges - EU Directive 2009/12/EC (pdf)