Page 71 - AA 2018_11
P. 71

Consensus position             are not delivering value for money     The AAA says Australian airports   international airlines, including
          Anyone who has visited an airport in   in airport services for international   are customer-focused. seth   accurate representation of what will
          recent times is all too aware they have   flights,” BARA said in its submission.  jaworski  be delivered for the prices paid,”
          become more than simply a place to   “There are underlying issues with             BARA said.
          get on or off a flight.        management focus and the availability                 “BARA considers the disconnection
            Among the boarding gates, luggage   and quality of services for the prices       from actual performance stems from
          belts and premium passenger lounges   paid.”                                       the fact the airport operators are
          are rows of designer boutiques and   BARA surveyed its member   ‘The               financially insulated from their service
          duty-free shops, as well as restaurants   airlines for their views on airport      delivery capability within a generous
          bearing the imprimatur of celebrity   management, service standards and   commercial   price-setting environment.
          chefs, even swimming pools and movie   representations, and value for money          “The airport operators are
          theatres. There is seemingly something   in airport services at Australia’s four   and   obtaining the financial benefits of
          for everyone to pass the time.  major gateways of Brisbane, Perth,                 strong international passenger growth,
            Ultimately though, airports at   Melbourne and Sydney.      operational          but the commercial and operational
          their core facilitate the movement of   The results of the survey showed,          challenges of this growth remain
          passengers and cargo from one place   on average, eight out of 10 airlines   challenges of   largely with airlines.”
          to another.                    thought airport operators were not                    BARA said it supports A4ANZ’s call
            On this front, the Board of Airline   proactively doing enough to support   this growth   for a negotiate-arbitrate framework,
          Representatives of Australia (BARA),   their efficient operations while 69 per     arguing it would “shift the emphasis
          which represents 32 international   cent did not believe they got value for   remain   from BARA seeking to improve upon
          airlines that fly into and out of   money in airport services.                     the unfavourable commercial terms
          Australia covering about 90 per cent   “The survey results signal a   largely with   put forward by the airport operator
          of all international passenger services,   significant disconnection between       through protracted negotiations to
          says airports could do better.  the performance assumed by    airlines.’           one where BARA could negotiate with
            “The consensus position of member   airport management and the actual            the potential to achieve its desired
          airlines is that the airport operators   quality of services delivered to   BARA   commercial benchmarks”.

























































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