Quality of service monitoring is undertaken by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) through its annual Airport Monitoring Reports. The ACCC monitors prices, costs and profits, and quality of aeronautical services and car parking at Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney (Kingsford Smith) airports. This monitoring occurs in accordance with directions issued by the Assistant Treasurer under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and the Airports Act 1996.
In addition, voluntary self-reporting from ‘second-tier’ airports – Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast and Hobart airports – shows insights into pricing, quality of service and complaints handling procedures in the reporting published on these airports’ websites.
In the most recent Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Economic Regulation of Airports conducted in 2018-19, the Commission found airports have maintained a positive quality of service rating despite substantial increases in passenger movements. In early 2019, the ACCC rated the quality of service at Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane airports as ‘good’ for the first time in a decade.
As part of the Australian Government’s response to the Inquiry, the Government will ask the ACCC to review the quality of service monitoring process. More information will be available in due course.