Our role in airports
Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch international airports are subject to a light-handed form of regulation called 'information disclosure.' This involves the Commission shining a light on the airport’s pricing and spending decisions to improve transparency about their performance.
The Commission does not regulate the prices Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch International Airports charge. The airports may set prices as they see fit, but must consult with substantial customers, like airlines, on charges and any major capital expenditure plans.
Under Part 4 of the Commerce Act, which regulates markets with little or no competition, the three airports are subject to information disclosure regulation for certain key airport facilities and services to get people and cargo on and off aeroplanes, including take-off and landing of aircraft. These services include aircraft, freight, airfield, and passenger terminal activities. The regulation does not cover other services such as car parks and retail facilities.
History of airport regulation
In 2002, we reported to the Minister of Commerce on our study of airfield activities at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch international airports.
The report was done in response to a request from the Minister for the Commission to undertake a study on whether airfield activities (as defined in the Airport Authorities Amendment Act 1997) provided by the three major international airport companies should be controlled under Part 4 of the Commerce Act.
In 2003 the Minister of Commerce announced that regulatory controls would not be imposed.
In 2008, Parliament passed legislation for a new Part 4 of the Commerce Act. This revised the regulatory regime for natural monopolies including specified airports services of major international airports (Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch).
Other related documents can be found in the documents section of the website.