By Tony Moore
Transport Minister Rachel Nolan could break Airtrain's public transport monopoly of direct airport services if the private company does not add extra services.
Ms Nolan will meet with Airtrain officials next week to discuss their failure to provide rail services from Brisbane Airport after 8pm.
Translink says it is working with Airtrain operators to fix a pricing anomaly.
Between 30 and 40 flights arrive and depart from the airport after 8pm on any night of the week.
Ms Nolan said she understood Airtrain's had a monopoly on direct public transport services to both terminals as a condition of their contract.
However, she said she had sought legal advice from Translink about the possibility of being able to provide public buses to the airport outside Airtrain operating times.
“That is the written advice I will receive before I provide a comment on that, but my understanding is that when Airtrain was established one of the circumstances in which they were established was that they essentially have free run to the airport,” she said.
“My understanding is that given that was the deal, they have investment decisions on that basis, so it would be difficult to change that.
“So my question is: 'can we provide alternative public transport services when Airtrain is not operating?'.”
Ms Nolan said she wanted to talk about the frequency of trains provided by Airtrain, among a raft of issues.
"Obviously a more comprehensive service is better, and the government's view is that we would like to see them with the most comprehensive service that is possible," she said.
"I understand that they have to weigh up their own commercial realities and they are a 'for profit' business."
Ms Nolan said she did not intend to ask Airtrain for something that "sends them broke".
My understanding is that when Airtrain was established one of the circumstances in which they were established was that they essentially have free run to the airport.
Airtrain yesterday unveiled a $10.028 million profit for 2009-10 and confirmed it had paid off its debts 10 years ahead of schedule.
In a media statement announcing the record profit Airtrain chairman Mike Pelly said Airtrain was "the shining light of transport infrastructure projects in Brisbane".
"Airtrain will increase its dividend by 10 per cent to $2.75 per share and this increase is just one way of expressing gratitude to our long-suffering shareholders who invested over $220 million more than 10 years ago," Mr Pelly said.
This afternoon, Mr Pelly said the company would put on extra trains when the “passenger demand was there” and that would include extra night services.
“We are continually looking at extra services and in fact have added six extra services in the last 18 months,” he said.
“We will continue to look at that when we believe the volume ramps up.”
Mr Pelly said Airtrain did not get strong patronage after dark, but would be "happy" to add services as extra flights continued to be scheduled.
Airtrain chief executive Chris Basche last week told brisbanetimes.com.au that it was too expensive to add extra services, but said Airtrain would look again in 18 months.
"In the next 12 to 18 months there might be one going at 8.30pm," Mr Basche said.
"As that [service] proves to be worthwhile, we will then move another one forward."
Mr Basche said there was not enough passengers on flights after 8pm to make it worthwhile for Airtrain to run extra trains.
Airtrain receives no government funding from the state government.