Airlines suing Schiphol over tariff hikes

Several airlines will try to convince a judge on Tuesday that the fare increases introduced by Schiphol Airport are too steep. The sector already complained about this to the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) two years ago, but the regulator rejected them. KLM, easyJet, and the trade organization IATA have asked the Trade Appeals Board (CBb) to reconsider that decision.

Schiphol announced in 2021 that the costs of using the airport would increase by double-digit percentages in the following years. According to the airport, the tariff hikes were needed due to the significant losses in the coronavirus crisis. The port charges are regulated, meaning the ACM determines whether they are reasonable.

Last year, the ACM ruled that the rate increase was justified due to the measures that Schiphol took to recover from the coronavirus crisis. The airlines felt that they should pay less, partly because of the long lines at Schiphol last year. They then decided to challenge the ACM decision in court.

The companies are taking the matter seriously, and IATA, the international aviation trade association, is also involved. IATA previously said that Schiphol and the Dutch regulator “completely failed to take into account the exceptional circumstances created by Covid-19.” According to the association, the significant price increase is neither reasonable nor sensible because it could harm the competitive position of Dutch aviation.