Wirraway
4th Jan 2005, 14:06
Wed "The Australian"
Airport gears up for giant Airbus
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
January 05, 2005
SYDNEY Airport is pushing ahead with modifications to cater for the giant Airbus A380, despite a breakdown in negotiations with airlines about a long-term pricing plan to cover airport charges and arguments over who should pay for the work.
Sydney's decision means all potential A380 destinations in Australia will be ready to accept the double-decker superjumbo, due to be officially unveiled later this month, by the time it comes into service in 2006.
Sydney Airport Corporation (SACL) will spend $100 million upgrading the airport and confirmed yesterday that work would start this year.
Singapore Airlines, the launch customer for the plane, has said Sydney will be one of its first destinations.
Qantas has bought 12 of the giant planes, and other airlines considering flying them to Sydney include Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, Federal Express and Cathay Pacific.
Capital construction includes widening runways and taxiway shoulders, construction of additional pavements to allow taxiway centrelines to be adjusted and relocation of airfield navigational and visual aid equipment.
It will also mean the construction of additional aerobridges at the international terminal and minor parking changes.
"The introduction of these new large aircraft represents an exciting and revolutionary step in aviation development and Sydney Airport will be a front runner in the delivery of superior service to the A380s," the airport said.
Board of Airline Representatives of Australia executive director Warren Bennett said airlines accepted SACL's assurances that the airport would be capable of accepting the superjumbos when they entered service.
But he said an agreement on who should pay for the work was "as far away as ever".
"SACL has decided that the airport needs to be able to accept A380s when the airlines want them to accept A380s," Mr Bennett said.
"So they have decided to proceed with the necessary contracts and construction work to make that happen in the absence of any formal pricing agreement.
"We still have to resolve what, if any, pricing adjustment needs to be made at the airport in order for them to achieve a return on the investment that they're making."
Mr Bennett said negotiations for a long-term pricing plan for airport charges remained in a state of limbo.
He said a draft document presented last year by SACL contained commercial principles the airport believed were necessary for a long-term agreement. But Mr Bennett said the airlines had asked SACL to "go back to square one".
"It was just way off beam in a large number of areas, so we think it's best to go back ... and start all over again," he said.
Airlines are also awaiting the outcome of an appeal to the Australian Competition Tribunal by Qantas and Virgin Blue against a federal government decision not to re-regulate Sydney Airport.
Mr Bennett said he did not expect a tribunal decision before February.
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Airport gears up for giant Airbus
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
January 05, 2005
SYDNEY Airport is pushing ahead with modifications to cater for the giant Airbus A380, despite a breakdown in negotiations with airlines about a long-term pricing plan to cover airport charges and arguments over who should pay for the work.
Sydney's decision means all potential A380 destinations in Australia will be ready to accept the double-decker superjumbo, due to be officially unveiled later this month, by the time it comes into service in 2006.
Sydney Airport Corporation (SACL) will spend $100 million upgrading the airport and confirmed yesterday that work would start this year.
Singapore Airlines, the launch customer for the plane, has said Sydney will be one of its first destinations.
Qantas has bought 12 of the giant planes, and other airlines considering flying them to Sydney include Emirates, Virgin Atlantic, Malaysia Airlines, Federal Express and Cathay Pacific.
Capital construction includes widening runways and taxiway shoulders, construction of additional pavements to allow taxiway centrelines to be adjusted and relocation of airfield navigational and visual aid equipment.
It will also mean the construction of additional aerobridges at the international terminal and minor parking changes.
"The introduction of these new large aircraft represents an exciting and revolutionary step in aviation development and Sydney Airport will be a front runner in the delivery of superior service to the A380s," the airport said.
Board of Airline Representatives of Australia executive director Warren Bennett said airlines accepted SACL's assurances that the airport would be capable of accepting the superjumbos when they entered service.
But he said an agreement on who should pay for the work was "as far away as ever".
"SACL has decided that the airport needs to be able to accept A380s when the airlines want them to accept A380s," Mr Bennett said.
"So they have decided to proceed with the necessary contracts and construction work to make that happen in the absence of any formal pricing agreement.
"We still have to resolve what, if any, pricing adjustment needs to be made at the airport in order for them to achieve a return on the investment that they're making."
Mr Bennett said negotiations for a long-term pricing plan for airport charges remained in a state of limbo.
He said a draft document presented last year by SACL contained commercial principles the airport believed were necessary for a long-term agreement. But Mr Bennett said the airlines had asked SACL to "go back to square one".
"It was just way off beam in a large number of areas, so we think it's best to go back ... and start all over again," he said.
Airlines are also awaiting the outcome of an appeal to the Australian Competition Tribunal by Qantas and Virgin Blue against a federal government decision not to re-regulate Sydney Airport.
Mr Bennett said he did not expect a tribunal decision before February.
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