Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has noted statements made by IATA at an aviation industry meeting earlier today.
ACSA welcomes any initiative which would ensure greater consultation and collaboration within the industry. ACSA agrees with IATA that the local aviation industry and government should work closer together to find appropriate solutions for issues such as funding of aviation infrastructure requirements and high tariff increases following periods of tariff reductions. To this extent, AASA, BARSA, ACSA, ATNS, the Regulating Committee and the Department of Transport currently meet frequently following the DoT initiative to form a steering committee to resolve exactly these issues.
Critical aspects of the consultation process with the airline associations include capital expenditure review and to this extent ACSA has committed to continue engaging in a transparent manner. Price differentiation between domestic and international airlines is an international norm due to differing service levels, however this is also part of the steering committee scope.
ACSA supports the development of a strong independent regulatory framework and is working with the industry to establish such under the leadership of the DoT, which has the vision of establishing a single transport regulator by 2013.
With regard to our tariffs being the highest in the world, we do tariff benchmarking and do not agree with this statement. In a 2009 benchmarking study, ACSA’s airport charges were 40th out of the 50 largest airports in the world.
