Regional Express and Sydney Airports Corporation Limited (SACL) have traded barbs over the airport’s intention to increase its charges on regional airlines for access at its Terminal 2.
Rex has taken the action of writing to councils and parliamentarians to oppose the increase in fees, which SACL says amounts to 22-23 cents per passenger excluding GST. SACL in particular labelled claims by Rex that regional aviation has not benefited from infrastructure investment and that it was trying to force regional aviation out from Sydney Airport as false.
Curiously, despite trading letters to key stakeholders, both Rex and SACL say that they are open to discussing the fee increase. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which must approve the increase, has put SACL’s proposal out for public comment, with comment closing on July 30.
