Infrastructure
- Worldwide, airlines and their passengers pay at least US$43.5 billion in charges and fees a year to airports and ANSPs or 11% of airline revenues.
- Since 2001 airlines have improved efficiency
- 19% improvement in fuel efficiency
- 64% increase in labour productivity
- Non-fuel unit costs have been reduced 18%
- Consumers have benefited with a 24% drop in real term prices for air travel over the past 10 years (1997-2007)
- But most airports and ANSPs are not matching these efforts
IATA Infrastructure Cost Savings
- IATA generated total savings of US$3.7 billion in charges, fuel and taxation in 2007
- However the savings were overwhelmed by $2.9 billion in increases
|
2007 Savings (millions) |
2007 Increases |
| Airport Charges: |
|
|
| Cost reduction |
US$ 371 |
|
| Cost avoidance |
US$ 1165 |
|
| Total for airport charges |
US$ 1536 |
US$ 1454 |
| ATC Charges: |
|
|
| Cost reduction |
US$ 372 |
|
| Cost avoidance |
US$ 1016 |
|
| Total for ATC Charges |
US$ 1388 |
US$ 464 |
| Commercial Fuel: |
|
|
| Cost reduction |
US$ 134 |
|
| Cost avoidance |
US$ 4 |
|
| Total for Commercial Fuel |
US$ 138 |
US$ 32 |
| Taxation: |
|
|
| Cost reduction |
US$ 217 |
|
| Cost avoidance |
US$ 425 |
|
| Total for Taxation |
US$ 642 |
US$ 925 |
Airport costs are on the rise
- World’s three most expensive airports (Jacobs Consultancy Airport Charges Index, 2007): Toronto, New Jersey-EWR, Athens
- 16 of the 25 most expensive airports in the world are in Europe
Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs)
- Improved infrastructure including air navigation and traffic management could reduce the industry fuel bill and emissions by 12%
- Improved arrival, departure and approach procedures
- Shortening routes
- IATA achieved 395 route improvements in 2007 saving US$831 million
Single European Sky (SES)
Delays in Europe due to congested airports and airspace
- 10.1 million flights controlled in 2007
- Anticipated growth to 15.9 million flights by 2020
- 35 national air navigation service providers in Europe
- With a total 2007 bill of EUR 8 billion to users
- At least EUR 2 billion of this is driven by inefficiencies and fragmentation
- Urgent action required to unlock inefficiencies and consolidate providers
- Further cost of EUR 1.3 billion in 2007 from delays created by ATC system
- 20% of flights expected to be delayed by 2020
- With a further 1.5 million unaccommodated if action is not taken
- Flight inefficiencies, from sub-optimal routing and procedures cost EUR 2.4 billion for 2007
- Flight inefficiencies alone impact fuel burn by 7% -11%
- European air navigation is 60-70% less efficient than in North America
- IATA is working with the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) to improve ANSP efficiency through benchmarking and improved customer relations
- In Europe, the new SES Phase II proposals detail requirements for a strong and independent performance improvement body to address
- Safety, cost efficiency, capacity and flight efficiency improvement
- The new legislation must result in binding performance improvement targets on States and ANSPs to enforce the Commission objectives to reduce unit costs by 50% before 2020 compared to 2004.
Updated: October 2008