By Clay Lucas
The report found Melbourne was among the worst offenders, raking in $94.8million from parking.Credit: Paul Rovere
THERE is no evidence to show that Australia's airports are using their monopoly positions to gouge air travellers for car parking, the Productivity Commission has found.
The commission's draft report, Economic Regulation of Airport Services, was released yesterday.
Among its findings was that there was no misuse of market power by Australia's five major airports when it came to airport car parking and land access.
It differed from an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission report last year, which found Australian airports appeared to be exploiting customers on car parking fees.
Melbourne was among the worst offenders, the ACCC report found, raking in $94.8 million from parking, far more than even Sydney Airport, despite it having a much larger volume of passengers.
The Productivity Commission yesterday found that there was no "evidence to support the claim that Melbourne Airport charges monopoly car park prices by impeding access to competitors".
It also found that the fees charged by airports for public transport operators and taxis to access them were not excessive.
Taxi passengers are charged $2 to visit Melbourne Airport, $1.32 of which is kept by the airport. Large buses have to pay up to $12, the report found.
The report also revealed that SkyBus at Melbourne Airport "pays a premium access fee for kerbside bus stops.
The prime location of these stops provides the company with a 'readily identifiable, strong branded and uncluttered' position at the terminal".
A one-way ticket on the SkyBus to the airport costs $16 and stops outside the terminals.
The fare for the public bus to the airport might be cheaper at between $2.90 and $6, but the bus stop is far removed from SkyBus's prime position at the terminal: passengers must instead walk about 900 metres to the outer reaches of the terminal.
The Australian Airports Association welcomed the report, saying it confirmed there was little need to more tightly monitor the nation's airports.
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