A4ANZ slams report

AIRLINE industry body, Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ) believes the Airports’ Inquiry needs an urgent reset after the publication of an initial draft report (TD 06 Feb).

A4ANZ claimed the Productivity Commission’s draft Economic Regulation of Airports report was significantly flawed, failing to acknowledge the shortcomings of the current regime.

“It appears that this Airports’ Inquiry needs an urgent reset to avoid the final report becoming a product of the same flawed approach that befell the Draft: status quo inertia,” A4ANZ said.

“The Productivity Commission is charged with ‘providing quality, independent advice and information to governments, and on the communication of ideas and analysis.’

“Our contention is that their approach to taking account of and appropriately assessing the information before it, along with the credibility and expertise of those providing that information, falls short of what Australians should expect of this institution.

“Instead, their conclusions left many experts scratching their heads, and to one correspondent describing the draft report as ‘the equal worst’ report by the Productivity Commission in the past 25 years, which ‘failed to learn from history’.”

A4ANZ claimed the Productivity Commission draft report showed a status quo bias in failing to consider expert opinions.

“The Australian Government cannot afford to leave airport powers unconstrained by the Productivity Commission baulking at the suggestion of sensible, minor reforms,” it said.

Read A4ANZ’s response HERE.