International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and
CEO, Giovanni Bisignani urged Japan’s Minister of Land Infrastructure and
Transport (MLIT) Chigake Ogi to ensure that a strong and effective economic
regulatory regime is put in place as part of Narita’s privatization process.
Bisignani noted that IATA is encouraged by the government’s decision to
privatize Narita independently but stated that several serious concerns remain. “Privatization should benefit not only the operators of Narita and
the Government, but also the airlines, passengers and shippers. It is
essential that a strong and independent economic regulatory regime be established,”
wrote Bisignani.
The UN body governing civil aviation (ICAO, the International Civil Aviation
Organization) recommends the establishment of a regulatory regime in the
privatization process. IATA believes that such a regime should ensure that:
• charges are just and reasonable
• infrastructure development is timely and cost-effective
• service standards are acceptable
• there is the ability to redress the users’ weak bargaining position
Bisignani commented that “airports are basically monopolies that provide an
essential public service. When governments sell these assets to the private
sector it cannot be a license to print money. It is in everyone’s interest
that ground rules are clearly established early on so that owners and users
of the facilities will have a clear understanding of the value of the airport and the
costs of services provided.”
Bisignani concluded that “a successful privatization of Narita would give
the world a clear signal that things are changing for the better in Japan
and a new era of economic transparency and openness is beginning.” |