Owner of airport

[saratoga]

Well i open this topic because i have a specific question: why isn't a single airlinecompany in Europe owning/ or constructing their own airport? Yes the maintenance cost will be high but pax dont have to pay paxfees, or at least lower fees, the company can create their big hub and perhaps other advantages and above all....it is all private.

Just some brainstorming.

So, opinions?

[jan_olieslagers]

Some thoughts:

-) there's a substantial difference between owning an airport and operating the same. Belgian public aerodromes are today operated by private companies (BIAC, Egis, ... )(perhaps EBCI and EBLG are still operated by Sowaer themselves?) but I have a shrewd suspicion the premises are still owned by government authorities. I suppose your post is about aerodromes being operated by an airline, rather than ownership.

-) I think there are cases where some holding owns/operates both an airline and its hub airport, especially in Central Asia, ex-Soviet territories.

-) in the Western world, I think a request from a private company to operate their own airport would be massively resisted both from the green gang and from the ubiquitous nimbies. Only governments or their agencies stand any chance against those.

-) on top of that, in Europe at least there would be major concerns about fair competition between airlines - the operator would have to prove the competition gets fair conditions, which would likely void the potential advantages.

[saratoga]

Well i am talking about an airline constructing, owning and running its own airport. Yes i know it sounds very unrealistic.

But then again, entrepreneurship is free in Europe. And so is a company free to build its own premises, even if these own premises is an own airport. Just like a truck company is free to build its own warehouses, gas station (non commercial), offices to ensure operation.

[jan_olieslagers]

The comparison between air transport (either pax or cargo) and road haulage is quite ok. But a transporter's premises would compare to an airport terminal, not to the airport as such: that compares to the road. And roads, like airports, must be available to all, on equal or at least competitive conditions.

Compare to rail transport, or shipping, for more insight.

[sn26567]

Bangkok Airways built and owns the airport at Koh Samui. But then they have also been for a long time the only operator to that airport, although now it is open to other airlines, especially Thai Airways.

https://www.bangkokair.com/pages/view/s ... al-airport

[Stij]

Doesn't Kalitta own Willow Run Airport?

Cheers,

Stij

[Acid-drop]

why would you own an airport when you can use one for almost free + get subsidies