‘Airlines to regulator to increase port rates’

A group of airlines is approaching the supervisory authority of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) because of Schiphol’s increase in port charges. That writes the FD. Barin, the organization that represents KLM and dozens of other airlines, is disappointed that prices will rise by 37 percent within three years.

The tariff decision was announced yesterday. The increase will be gradual between 2022 and 2025. Airlines pay the port fee to take off and land at the airport.

“It is a much stronger rate increase than you see elsewhere in Europe. This is bad for the competitive position of the Netherlands,” Barin chairman Marnix Fruitema told the FD. Barin had found an increase of 5% per year reasonable, the newspaper writes.

42 percent

Schiphol previously wanted to apply a step-by-step increase of 42 percent, but the company decided against this after consultation with the airlines. According to Schiphol, the increase is necessary because of the corona crisis. The company expects to have lost a total of 1.6 billion in revenue in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

“With the new rates we will divide the burden and limit the settlement of missed income over the next three years,” says Robert Carsouw, financial director of Schiphol Group.

Airline KLM is not happy about the plans. “The airport is transferring the risks of covid-19 to the users,” says KLM. The company called the proposed rate hikes “disproportionate and unwise”.

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