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Schiphol airport can only pass on aviation-related costs

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is not allowed to pass on to airlines the costs of the public-transport card readers and ticket machines located in Schiphol Plaza. These costs are associated with traveling by train, and are thus not related to aviation. That is one of the conclusions in the draft decision published by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) about how Schiphol will calculate the costs of aviation-related activities between 2016 and 2018. On the other hand, Schiphol is allowed to pass on the costs for the construction and management of a skybridge between one of the parking garages and the airport terminal. This is allowed because the skybridge is used by airline passengers. In addition, the airlines themselves wished to have this skybridge built.

Economic oversight

Every year, Schiphol includes in the tariffs that it charges the airlines any costs that are related to aviation and security. ACM assesses the cost allocation methods. As a result of this oversight, it becomes clear according to what principles Schiphol passes on costs to the airlines. Henk Don, Member of the Board of ACM, explains: “Only costs that are incurred as a result of aviation activities may be passed on. Other costs cannot. Through their airline tickets, consumers thus only pay for costs that are incurred as a result of aviation activities, and they do not pay for costs that, for example, are incurred as a result of train activities at Schiphol.” Next to the assessment of the cost allocation methods, ACM has also specifically looked into the transparency of the cost allocation.

Comments?

ACM welcomes any comments that interested parties may have with regard to the draft decision. Airlines and other interested parties have six weeks to submit their comments.