Peter Lindsay (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I would ask the minister to consider this: every time there is a security upgrade there are additional charges that go to the airport operators, and the airport operators have to cover those charges from airlines—and that is okay—but because it is a highly competitive business and because airlines are under huge cost pressures, it is very difficult for the airport operators to reach a negotiated settlement on these charges. I have seen at one airport that there is a huge negotiation process going on over a 1c difference in what the charge should be. It is that fine. So the airport says to me, ‘Perhaps the government could assist in this process by finding a way that makes it easier for airports and air operators to be able to have a mechanism to agree on how these charges are passed on, because it is nobody’s fault that we have got to pass on the charges. The passengers have got to pay, we all recognise that, but there is just this argy-bargy that goes on because there is a change in security requirements because the government says we should do this.’ Perhaps the minister could have a look at how that all operates and help both the airline industry and the airport industry to make it easier to allow these charges to be passed on. Thank you for the opportunity to make my contribution this afternoon.

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