Big four Australian airports back to black
- BTN News
- Wednesday, 01 May 2024
The aeronautical operations of Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney airports returned to profit in 2022-23, the first full financial year since the end of Covid-19 travel restrictions, according to the ACCC’s latest Airport Monitoring Report.
All four monitored airports had reported losses on their aeronautical operations in 2021-22.
The four reported a total of 100.7 million passengers passing through in 2022-23, up 127.4 per cent from the previous year. However, the number of domestic passengers was still 10.4 per cent below 2018-19 (pre-pandemic) levels, and international passengers 31 per cent below.
Perth Airport recorded an aeronautical operating profit margin of 34.6 per cent in 2022-23, followed by Sydney Airport with 29.1 per cent, Brisbane Airport 28.8 per cent, and Melbourne Airport 22.9 per cent.
Perth Airport’s aeronautical operating profit margin was slightly higher than the 34.2 per cent it recorded in 2018-19, but Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne all were lower than 2018-19.
The four airports combined invested A$559 million in aeronautical operations in 2022-23, a relatively modest amount compared to prior to the pandemic. Much of this investment was by Melbourne Airport in a range of facilities such as roads, taxiways and terminals.
The airports also reported a significant increase in both revenues and operating profits for their car parking operations in 2022-23, collectively earning A$337 million in operating profits from that activity, an increase of 168 per cent on the previous year. All four airports reported operating profit margins above 60 per cent for car parking.
Earlier this year, the ACCC submitted to the government’s Aviation White Paper process that commercial arbitration should be available to resolve any disputes between airports and airlines over airport charges.
“We believe there needs to be greater requirements on airports to provide information to airlines, to address the imbalance of power in commercial negotiations,” said ACCC commissioner Anna Brakey.
“We have also recommended the Aeronautical Pricing Principles be reviewed, including to make them mandatory and enforceable.”
The four reported a total of 100.7 million passengers passing through in 2022-23, up 127.4 per cent from the previous year. However, the number of domestic passengers was still 10.4 per cent below 2018-19 (pre-pandemic) levels, and international passengers 31 per cent below.
Perth Airport recorded an aeronautical operating profit margin of 34.6 per cent in 2022-23, followed by Sydney Airport with 29.1 per cent, Brisbane Airport 28.8 per cent, and Melbourne Airport 22.9 per cent.
Perth Airport’s aeronautical operating profit margin was slightly higher than the 34.2 per cent it recorded in 2018-19, but Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne all were lower than 2018-19.
The four airports combined invested A$559 million in aeronautical operations in 2022-23, a relatively modest amount compared to prior to the pandemic. Much of this investment was by Melbourne Airport in a range of facilities such as roads, taxiways and terminals.
The airports also reported a significant increase in both revenues and operating profits for their car parking operations in 2022-23, collectively earning A$337 million in operating profits from that activity, an increase of 168 per cent on the previous year. All four airports reported operating profit margins above 60 per cent for car parking.
Earlier this year, the ACCC submitted to the government’s Aviation White Paper process that commercial arbitration should be available to resolve any disputes between airports and airlines over airport charges.
“We believe there needs to be greater requirements on airports to provide information to airlines, to address the imbalance of power in commercial negotiations,” said ACCC commissioner Anna Brakey.
“We have also recommended the Aeronautical Pricing Principles be reviewed, including to make them mandatory and enforceable.”
