The Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) has hit out at what it claims is a proposed 6000 per cent increase in parking charges for aircraft in the general aviation parking area at Sydney Airport, labelling it as “brutal, monopolistic behaviour”.
“Regional airline and general aviation operators rely on access to Sydney Airport to provide their vital passenger, freight and aero-medical services to regional Australia,” said RAAA CEO, Paul Tyrrell. “Operators are willing to enter into parking negotiations in good faith but the offer on the table is excessive and inflammatory. The increases are of such a magnitude they seem designed to exclude some operators from the airport.”
The organisation added that the proposed increase showed that the federal government is being light handed in its regulation of aircraft parking charges, and ultimately could see a number of regional airlines cut their services to the airport.
