ACCC issues airports quality monitoring report

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today issued its Quality of Service Report - price-monitored airports, reporting on the availability and standard of airport facilities at Australia's major airports.

The ACCC's role of monitoring quality of service is complementary to its prices monitoring role for aeronautical and aeronautical-related services.

The results of the report show the following rankings of the airports over the period of ACCC monitoring ranging between satisfactory and good.

The report found that over the past four years, Brisbane has been the top-ranked airport, achieving an overall rating of good. Melbourne and Sydney airports rated at the mid-point between satisfactory and good. Perth airport has been rated between satisfactory and good. Both Canberra and Darwin overall have generally rated at the satisfactory level, with Darwin's overall rating decreasing this year to be just below satisfactory.

Note: Not all airports provide the same level of quality of service information.*

Following ratings of satisfactory over the reporting period, Adelaide's overall rating increased significantly, up to just below good which appears to follow the opening of the new Multi User Integrated Terminal in 2005–06.

However, despite increasing slightly in 2005–06, Melbourne airport's rating has declined since 2002–03, as has Sydney and Darwin airport since 2003–04. Canberra airport's rating has decreased in 2005–06.

*Airport Regulations 1997 do not require Canberra, Darwin and Adelaide airports to undertake passenger surveys. Accordingly, the ACCC's guidelines do not require these airports to undertake passenger surveys. Adelaide airport does, however, survey passengers for its own purposes and provides this information to the ACCC voluntarily. Further, Canberra airport has not provided the number of arriving and departing passengers per peak hour and therefore no objective indicator data is included in the overall ranking of the airport.