Qantas CEO: Fees and charges from monopoly airports are excessive and damaging the economy

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce stated (18-Sep-2019) "fees and charges from monopoly airports are excessive and damaging the economy", with airports continuing to "reap super profits because there is no real threat of intervention to moderate their behaviour". Mr Joyce reported: "Airports collect 25 per cent more revenue" per passenger "than they did 10 years ago while domestic airfares have dropped by almost 40 per cent", with Australia being "home to four of the five most profitable airports in the world". Mr Joyce noted the carrier's "dispute with Perth Airport is a perfect example of just how broken the system is" and by "holding back the launch of direct flights between Perth and Paris" the "Western Australian economy is missing out on more than AUD100 million of activity". Mr Joyce stated airlines cannot "just upstumps and fly to the next airport 15 minutes down the road" as "Australian airports are literally the only game in town" and they "have airlines and passengers over a barrel". Mr Joyce called for the Australian Government to introduce reforms recommended by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission to manage "the misuse of power by Australia's monopoly airports". [more - original PR]