OK.
What the Federal Government decided, over 25 years ago, according to it’s mantra, was that airlines and airports should be privately and commercially operated.
They did this either because they conceeded they weren’t capable of doing it themselves, or that Australians would be better off that way. Either way, they’ve done it, and that’s what we have now.
The difference between privatisation of airports and airlines is that they gave the former a monopoly, and they gave the latter nothing - in fact they went out of their way to encourage competition against Australian owned or operated airlines, with zero concessions against the lower costs of foreign airline competition.
Each is now required to conduct it’s business in accordance with shareholder (or sole owner) returns.
No-one would disagree that airlines struggle to survive, particularly Australian ones. Australian airports, on the other hand, do not.
Qantas came up with an idea to streamline operations through it’s existing terminal, which would improve the experience for passengers, and help make it viable for their business. PA told them to get lost. But QF were prepared to spend money on it, and it was only through WA Govt pressure and a small amount of State funding that PA conceeded to it (or were required to conceed - I don’t know).
Now they want to add another flight that wasn’t included in the original written agreement, and PA are telling them to get lost again.
Don’t for one minute think that PA is “thinking of the children” here. They are behaving just how we are accustomed to how monopoly companies behave. They simply don’t see a dollar in it for them so they are saying “no” just because they can.
The only way a private monopoly can exist effectively for the people is through stringent regulation.
Perhaps the Govt needs to step in and pull in the reins a little bit.