Airport landing fee increases irk airlines

Airlines have hit out at new landing fees at Christchurch Airport they calculate will push up charges immediately by 28 per cent and by a total of up to 66 per cent by July next year.

That means a Boeing 777 will suffer an increased charge of about $1500 per landing from July 2010.

Board of Airline Representatives executive director John Beckett said the airport company was imposing an unreasonable cost flying in the face of the needs of the tourism industry and the travellers at a difficult time.

The decision to impose charge increases in this manner was an abuse of the airport company's monopoly position, he said.

"The travelling public can only look towards the Commerce Commission to take a strong hand in bringing CIAL back to a sensible position."

The airport company said the impact of overall charges would be about $1.30 per passenger and they had been introduced in stages to ease the burden on airlines.