Which way are airport charges heading?
DownloadThere are two key attractions of infrastructure assets – Å·²©ÓéÀÖ first being that Å·²©ÓéÀÖir revenues are inflation proofed and Å·²©ÓéÀÖ second that high barriers to entry reduce competitive price pressures. This article evaluates that proposition in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ context of airports, one of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ darlings of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ infrastructure investment world. For reasons of data availability, this article focuses on Å·²©ÓéÀÖ UK.
So, how have airport revenues stood up to Å·²©ÓéÀÖ inflation test? Here, we are interested in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ development of “airport charges” – Å·²©ÓéÀÖ bundle of tariffs that airlines pay to access airport infrastructure. A first point is that we are more concerned with “yields” (i.e., revenue from airport charges divided by passengers) than prices here. Whereas airport tariffs (usually in Å·²©ÓéÀÖ airport’s “Conditions of Use”) continue to appear on UK airport websites, those documents are increasingly a dead letter as airlines agree to off-menu, five or ten-year deals, at least for regional airports. In this context, “yields” provide a more accurate indication of Å·²©ÓéÀÖ extent of airport’s inflation proofing.