To the intense irritation of those companies forced to foot the bill, airports operator ANA has announced a further series of above inflation price hikes for those companies operating at Portugal’s airports.
French owned ANA has proposed an average increase of 2.93% in airport charges for 2016 and justifies this figure by its investment “exceeding €250 million over the next four years to respond to the increased traffic.”
In today's statement, the monopoly’s management said that its proposal for the ‘updating of rates’ - as it euphemistically calls the price rises - are for public consultation. In reality the company can set its charges as it wishes and currently is intent on forcing operators to pay for its overdue capital investment programme.
The price rises will hit Lisbon airport's businesses badly as an increase of 4.56% has been put forward, with 1.52% for Oporto Airport, 1.02% at Faro Airport and 0.73% in the Açores. Madeira airport operators are to receive a reduction of 1.02% in ANA fees.
ANA, owned by the French Vinci Group, points out that the Portuguese airports that it manages "have very significant traffic growth" the monopoly business has a four year plan of "investments of more than €250 million in infrastructure development in order to enhance the capacity, safety, quality and efficient service provided to airlines," which it is asking its customers to fund.
The management of the Portugal's airports justifies these new increases by new investments of more than EUR 250 million which the company needs to carry out to support the increased traffic at airports.
ANA's second excuse for the price hikes was that "rates will remain significantly lower than those prevailing in European airports comparable to Lisbon" adding that "in real terms, the average revenue per passenger at the ANA Group airports in Lisbon, the Açores, Madeira and Beja is still identical to the revenue in 2009. At Oporto airport the revenue per passenger is 11% lower than it was in 2009 and at Faro airport, the revenue is down 10.11%."
In which ever way ANA dresses up its reasoning, the business is able to charge what it wants to satisfy revenue requirements issued from head office in Paris.
