Airport privatisation: varied successes as IATA takes aim

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), along with organisations such as the trade association Airlines for Europe (A4E) - especially those within Europe - has been on the attack, with privatised airports in their sights. Each regards such airports as monopolies that need stringent price regulation to protect airline passengers, and they regard privatisation itself as an unnecessary evil.

An independent U.S. organisation has found that of the 100 largest airport groups, 40 were either fully or partially privatised and 62% of them were included in the world's hundred best airports as judged by passengers.

There have been some privatisation failures, of course, and there is still a sense of retail overkill at some privatised airports.

This report examines both sides of the argument.