The International Airline Transport Association's AGM recently took place in Vancouver. Delegates at the AGM heard that the airport companies for Johannesburg International (i.e. ACSA), Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and Seoul have returned profit margins of more than 40%; and at the same time the cost saving initiatives which airlines have implemented have been wiped out by the high costs airports are charging for landing. According to Giovanni Bisignani (IATA director general and CEO), ?Too many airports still operate as happy monopolies?. This is certainly the case in South Africa, where ACSA makes massive profits, whilst baggage handling is slow and ground equipment is often not ready by the time aircrafts have landed. Not that ACSA should be blamed, they're simply doing what any monopolist would do - it is the responsibility of government to instil a competitive environment in airport management.
This article, or extracts thereof, may be printed on other websites, provided that this message and a link to www.southafrica.to is included. The article or extracts thereof may be used in the print media provided that credit is given to www.SouthAfrica.TO
