August 13, 2008
British budget airline easyJet said on Wednesday it would file a complaint with Dutch competition authority NMa against Dutch airport operator Schiphol Amsterdam for increasing passenger charges.
"Schiphol is discriminating by charging passengers that depart from the Netherlands twice as much as transfer passengers," easyJet said in a statement.
Schiphol was violating Dutch law as charges were discriminatory, not related to costs, and not transparent, easyJet said.
A spokeswoman for Schiphol said the system that differentiates between charges for transfer passengers and other passengers was approved by the NMa, and if airlines had complaints about charges, they should address them to the NMa.
Schiphol will increase passenger and security charges by 36 percent in total to EUR30.93 euros by November for non-transfer passengers, while the charges rise 40 percent to EUR15.43 for transfer passengers, the spokeswoman said.
"Passenger service charges are going up mostly due to inflation, while costs for security continue to rise," she said.
Schiphol would become Europe's most expensive airport with these rises, easyJet said.
If the NMa will not investigate easyJet's complaint, the airline will go to the European Commission, easyJet said.
(Reuters)
British budget airline easyJet said on Wednesday it would file a complaint with Dutch competition authority NMa against Dutch airport operator Schiphol Amsterdam for increasing passenger charges.
"Schiphol is discriminating by charging passengers that depart from the Netherlands twice as much as transfer passengers," easyJet said in a statement.
Schiphol was violating Dutch law as charges were discriminatory, not related to costs, and not transparent, easyJet said.
A spokeswoman for Schiphol said the system that differentiates between charges for transfer passengers and other passengers was approved by the NMa, and if airlines had complaints about charges, they should address them to the NMa.
Schiphol will increase passenger and security charges by 36 percent in total to EUR30.93 euros by November for non-transfer passengers, while the charges rise 40 percent to EUR15.43 for transfer passengers, the spokeswoman said.
"Passenger service charges are going up mostly due to inflation, while costs for security continue to rise," she said.
Schiphol would become Europe's most expensive airport with these rises, easyJet said.
If the NMa will not investigate easyJet's complaint, the airline will go to the European Commission, easyJet said.
(Reuters)
