Association Of European Airlines Slams Airports For Fee Hikes
LONDON -(Dow Jones)- The Association of European Airlines, or AEA, Wednesday
slammed airports across Europe for increasing fees they charge airlines, so they
can compensate for lower traffic levels during the recession.
Airports typically charge a fixed amount per departing passenger to airlines.
The AEA said highlighted Germany as an example for increased charges.
Frankfurt Airport is proposing an increase in charges of 8.4% next January to
fund future expansion, on top of a 4.6% hike for central infrastructure, while
Munich airport announced an increase of 4%.
AEA's Secretary General Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus, said, "Frankfurt Airport
could do with a reality check," and added the last thing airlines need is a cost
increase.
The AEA said it was now concerned that other airports, which were planning to
freeze their charges, would reconsider their policy.
Copenhagen, which agreed to hold back increases, will reinstate them by the
end of the year, the AEA said, while it fears that London's Heathrow Airport and
Paris-Charles de Gaulle will go ahead with its planned hikes.
Norwegian airports are an exception and have frozen fee levels.
Schulte-Strathaus, said, while the current downturn affects all of parties,
airlines face a much harder time given they not only have fewer passengers, but
passengers are also traveling on lower fares.
He added, "In better times, such behaviour was unreasonable. During the worst
crisis the industry has known, it is completely unacceptable."
Company Web site: www.aea.be
By Kaveri Niththyananthan, Dow Jones Newswires; 4420 7842 9299;
kaveri.niththyananthan@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
07-22-090727ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
|