Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ) chairman, Prof. Graeme Samuel, has hit out at airports after the ACCC reported a combination of record high revenues and stable expenses led to $1 billion in operating profits.
“The ACCC’s findings hardly come as a surprise to airlines and passengers who pay exorbitant prices for parking and food at airports every time they fly,” said Samuel, a former ACCC chair himself, an industry body that represents the interests of Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand and REX.
Samuel’s criticism comes after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s latest Airport Monitoring Report shows Australia’s four largest airports, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, each reported their highest ever aeronautical revenues in 2023-24.
“The increase in aeronautical revenues in 2023-24 was driven in large part by the continued recovery in international passenger numbers, which rose by 32.1 per cent at the four airports monitored in our report,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said. “Domestic passenger numbers also grew by 6.7 per cent.”
But the profits come after a continued recovery out of Covid and during a period of massive investment in airport infrastructure with $30 billion a to be spent on airports over the next decade. Australian Airports Association (AAA) CEO, Simon Westaway, said the claims made by A4ANZ are nothing new.
The AAA said four reviews by the Productivity Commission over the last 20 years have found the current regulatory regime remains around airports fit for purpose and there is no evidence that airports have exercised market power.
“Airports continue to rate well with travellers, and we continue to invest to meet passenger expectations,” Westaway said. “Airport fees and charges remain a small proportion of an airline ticket and do not fluctuate, despite claims by airlines of monopoly behaviour.”
The Productivity Commission found airports continue to invest in facilities efficiently, a point reiterated again today by the ACCC, he said.
“As we’ve seen with the $5 billion dollar deal between Perth Airport and Qantas, the current regulatory framework successfully delivers infrastructure investments,” he said.
The AAA said it had been a strong advocate for greater competition in the domestic airline market, with 98 per cent of domestic passengers serviced by just two airline groups. Samuel’s comment also comes after Qantas announced a $1.39 billion profit in the last quarter, putting it on target for an annual profit of $2b.
According to the ACCC report, the 24.3 per cent increase in revenues to $2.6 billion occurred despite the four major airports collectively handling fewer passengers than before the pandemic. While domestic and international passengers grew by 13.7 per cent to 114.6 million since 2022-23, passenger numbers remained 4.7 per cent below 2018-19 levels.
“The ACCC report specifically notes the investments happening at major airports in Australia,” Samuel said. “Airlines welcome investment, but it must be efficient and timely and most importantly serve the needs of airlines and their customers, not just enhance the profits of airports. The report cites the government approval of the third runway at Melbourne Airport.
“While the capital expenditure must be efficient, the construction of the third runway at Melbourne Airport is also a long-term project, and in the interim period it is essential that the existing infrastructure is fully utilised and operating at optimal capacity and efficiency.”
As for investment, Samuel said: “Further transparency and scrutiny are required to ensure that this capital expenditure is efficient and directed to serving the interests of airlines and their customers, so that passengers don’t foot the bill for inefficient gold-plated infrastructure.
“The ACCC’s findings hardly come as a surprise to airlines and passengers who pay exorbitant prices for parking and food at airports every time they fly,” A4ANZ chairman, Prof. Graeme Samuel AC, said.
“Airports have their hands in passengers’ pockets from the moment they enter airport property – including for rental cars, taxi and rideshare surcharges, and in particular car parking. The most recent ACCC data shows that the major four airports reported profit margins above 60 per cent for the second year in a row for car parking – these are super profits, well above those recorded by airlines, banks, or supermarkets.”
“The Aviation White Paper recommended enhanced monitoring of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Western Sydney airports. We don’t consider that monitoring alone can be effective in constraining monopoly airports from extracting every available dollar from airline passengers. As the ACCC have stated, without appropriate regulation an airport can exercise its market power to earn monopoly profit to the detriment of airport users and the broader Australian economy.”
ACCC key insights
- Passenger numbers at the monitored airports continued to grow in 2023–24 following the significant rebound in 2022–23. The airports reported a total of 114.6 million passengers, up 13.7% from the previous year, but still 4.7% below pre-pandemic (2018–19) levels.
- A combination of record high revenues and stable expenses led to $1.0 billion in operating profits from aeronautical operations across the 4 airports, 75.0% higher than the previous year.
- Sydney Airport reported significantly higher aeronautical revenues and operating profits than the other airports and the previous year, but these figures are somewhat inflated by back-payments by airlines for services provided in 2022–23.
- Collectively, the 4 airports earned $387.8 million in operating profits from car parking activities, with Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth earning more profits than pre-pandemic (2018–19). Brisbane Airport reported the highest car parking operating profit of $113.4 million and the highest profit margin of 76.6%.
- Revenues from landside transport access services such as those provided to taxis, rideshare operators and buses grew by 17.9% in
2023–24 to $69.6 million. - After years of relatively little investment due to the pandemic, the airports have recommenced investment. The airports invested $985.1 million in
aeronautical facilities in 2023–24, although this will increase substantially in coming years with new runways, new terminals and terminal refurbishments. - In 2023–24, all 4 airports maintained an overall rating of ‘good’ for their quality of service and facilities, with passengers more satisfied than airlines. Ratings from airlines fell due to concerns about congestion of airside infrastructure and the inadequacy of baggage processing facilities at several airports.
