The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today released the first annual regulatory report for Sydney Airport, and the second year's regulatory reports for each of the Phase I airports, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth.
The 98/99 regulatory reports include a detailed assessment of quality of service performance at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth Airports. Airlines and passengers were asked to rate airport performance on certain service indicators.
"The passenger survey results indicate strong quality performance from the three privatised airports", ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels, said today.
"The results from the 98/99 quality monitoring for the three privatised airports appears to be comparable to the results achieved in the 97/98 period.
"It is encouraging to see the privatised airports continue to provide high quality standards, while reducing aeronautical charges."
Examples of the quality of service results obtained from the passenger and airline surveys are: For Perth Airport, 75% of passengers surveyed rated the waiting time for check-in-facilities as 'excellent', or just below. Availability of trolleys also rated as 'excellent', or just below. Airlines surveyed mostly rated the runways, aprons and taxiways at Melbourne Airport as 'good' to 'excellent'. Passengers surveyed rated flight information displays at Melbourne Airport as 'good' to 'excellent'. Passengers surveyed at Brisbane Airport rated the waiting time at check-in as just below 'excellent'. Gate lounges rated similarly. Airlines rated the standard and availability of freight equipment from 'good' to 'excellent'.
"The results from the passenger survey for Sydney Airport also indicated a satisfactory standard of quality for most facilities", Professor Fels said.
"For example, passengers surveyed at Sydney Airport rated the waiting time at baggage inspection as 'good'. The waiting time at Government inspection was rated similarly. Airlines rated the standard and availability of runways and aprons as mostly 'satisfactory' to 'good'.
"However, the airline surveys for Sydney Airport also raised concerns. In particular, a number of airlines rated ground service and freight equipment storage sites, gates and aerobridges as unsatisfactory. In many cases they acknowledged the impact on quality of building works being undertaken in the lead up to the Olympics. Sydney Airports Corporation Limited commented that it expected that service levels would improve following completion of the extensive redevelopment program in May 2000."
Each of the airport operators acknowledged most airline concerns and commented on the need for improvements to certain facilities. In many cases airport operators outlined the measures being implemented to address these concerns.
The reports also cover: Price cap compliance: CPI-X price cap on aeronautical services for the Phase I airport only; Financial accounts reporting; and Prices monitoring.
The four reports are available on the ACCC website at www.accc.gov.au.