What the ACCC does

  • We assess proposed price increases from Sydney Airport for regional air services.
  • We assess proposed price increases from Airservices Australia.

What the ACCC can't do

  • We don’t regulate airports or airlines.

On this page

About the price notification process

The price notification process allows us to publicly assess proposed price increases in markets where there isn’t enough competition. These are markets that may not achieve efficient prices for consumers.

Price notification rules are in Part VIIA of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010. These rules form the legal basis of our functions.

What price notification applies to

Price notification only applies to notified goods and services from declared firms. The Minister makes the decision on these firms, and the goods and services that are notified.

There are 2 declared firms in relation to airports and aviation:

  • Sydney Airport for regional air services
  • Airservices Australia.

Declared firms must inform the ACCC of any proposed price increase to notified goods and services.

What we do in assessing price notifications

We assess proposed price increases to notified goods and services.   

After assessing proposed price increases, we can either:

  • not object to the increases
  • not object to increases lower than those proposed
  • object to the proposed increases.

We let the applicant know of the outcome.

See our guidelines outlining the ACCC’s approach to assessing price notifications.

Public register of price notifications

Our price notifications register lists notifications lodged by Sydney Airport and Airservices Australia.

Sydney Airport’s services for regional airlines

We assess notifications of proposed price increases from Sydney Airport. These are for aeronautical services and facilities provided to regional air services.

The services are declared under:

The declaration began on 1 July 2023 and ends on 30 June 2026.

Pricing standard

In assessing price notifications from Sydney Airport, we also follow a pricing standard.

The pricing standard limits any increase in price within a financial year. The increase cannot be more than the increase in the consumer price index for the same year.

The pricing standard is directed under:

The direction began on 1 July 2023 and ends on 30 June 2026.

Airservices Australia

We assess notifications of proposed price increases from Airservices Australia.

Airservices Australia is a government-owned organisation. It provides:

  • air traffic control services
  • aviation firefighting and rescue services to airports and airlines.

These services as declared under:

Price notification projects