Airport taxes will have to increase warned Olivier Jankovec, general manager of ACI Europe.
Airports have lost over €20 billion since 2019
It’s a return to profit for European airports, which in 2022 recorded a collective net profit of €6.4 billion. Not a bad result given that the passenger volume was 21% lower than 2019 pre-pandemic levels. But the financial situation of European airports remains "uncertain and challenging" and airport taxes across the continent will have to increase. Olivier Jankovec, general manager of ACI Europe said that since 2019 the sector has lost more than €50 billion in revenues and accumulated over €20 billion in losses.
“The investment crisis is already a reality"
"At stake is the ability of airports to invest in decarbonisation, resilience, digitisation and capacity where needed,- underlined Jankovec. - Looking ahead to 2023 and the following two years, European airports have already reduced future investments by €34.6 billion to €18.4 billion. The investment crisis is already a reality." Jankovec says airport taxes are up 7% compared to pre-pandemic levels, and airfares up 32%. There is only one logical way forward, and that is to respect the user pays principle, he said.
"Regulators and governments must accept that cost pressures and investment needs require an upward adjustment of airport charges."
IATA boss Willie Walsh says airports are trying to defraud airlines
Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, has repeatedly attacked airports for hiking taxes, arguing that the industry "cannot tolerate a situation where airports try to defraud airlines and their passengers with significant increases in airport charges." Walsh recently criticized Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
