The ‘per head’ tax levied by French-owned airports operator ANA at Portugal’s main airports are to rise in 2017.
The reason given for the 15 cents per passenger increase at Faro airport is to "combat the effects of seasonality affecting the airport in the winter season."
The company says there will be no increase at Beja and Funchal in Madeira but that all the other will see increases with Lisbon rising to 22 cents per passenger and Oporto to 11 cents. The airports in the Açores will see the charge rising to 10 cents per passenger..
According to ANA, "the changes proposed do not constitute an excessive tariff rise and, equally importantly, do not compromise the activity of ANA airports and their tariff competitiveness."
The company says the rates may be altered as the year goes on because the taxes are based on passenger traffic forecasts and are “susceptible to possible correction based on the actual numbers for 2017.”
The ANA notification to media failed to mention the total rate payeable per passenger, only the increase.
The Secretary of State for Infrastructures, Guilherme d'Oliveira Martins, commented that the increase in airport charges is due to the privatisation of ANA by the previous government, which has resulted in "a great deal for the private sector."
"This was presented as a successful privatisation and has turned out to be a great deal for the private sector," commented the secretary of state.
But the government is powerless to intervene “unless ANA exceeds its contractual obligations” said Martins who admits the government is facing "a contract signed, for many years to come, between the State and the private sector."
In conclusion, the member of the Government points out that ANAC, the civil aviation regulator, "has the responsibility to analyze the rates practiced, namely their conformity with the contract and also their alignment with the rates practiced in the European Union."
The privatisation of ANA was won by the French group Vinci Group, which paid €3,080 million for the company.
