HC Deb 20 March 2002 vol 382 cc351-3W
Mr. Lazarowicz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what landing charges (a) are imposed and (b) have been imposed in each of the preceding four years for each civil airport in the United Kingdom operated by (i) BAA and (ii) each of the other airport operators. [43861]

Mr. Jamieson

Those airports subject to economic regulation by the Civil Aviation Authority notify CAA of the different airport charges levied at their airport. Landing charges are one of these. However, they vary for different categories of aircraft (eg by aircraft noise); by aircraft weight categories and sometimes by time of day. They may also include airport navigation charges. The resources required to process and collate the information on landing charges data for all airport operators, and in a form which would allow useful comparisons between airports, would be disproportionate and not show the level of the total airport charge.

The revenue from airport charges is published for about 30 airports by the Centre for the study of Regulated Industries (CRI) in their statistical series "Airport Statistics". This publication also includes passenger number so it would be possible to derive the annual revenue from airport charges per passenger for these airports.

Mr. Lazarowicz

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what factors the Civil Aviation Authority is required to take account of when considering applications from airport operators for increases in landing charges. [43864]

Mr. Jamieson

There are three categories of airport in respect of airport charges.

Airports with more than one million passengers each year are subject to economic regulation by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and require their permission to levy charges. Below this threshold, airports are able to levy airport charges without permission. For the "designated" airports of BAA"s London airports and for Manchester airport, this permission is also subject to conditions regarding the maximum amounts that may be levied.

For the non-designated economically regulated airports with permission to levy charges, CAA are notified of the airport charges to be levied by the airport operator but they do not play a part in determining these.

For the designated airports of BAA"s London airports and of Manchester airport, the conditions imposed by CAA are the result of an extensive process every five years to set the maximum annual airport charge for the following five years. In doing this, CAA take account of their statutory objectives listed in Section 39 of the 1986 Airports Act. This price cap has been expressed in terms of the average revenue from airport charges per passenger (revenue yield). Provided the annual airport charges set each year by the airport operator would not be expected to result in the price cap being exceeded, CAA are not involved in their determination.