Early results from the 2009 Airport Charges Monitor suggest that passengers are bearing the brunt of airport charges increases in 2009.

Results from Europe’s top ten airports show that total charges for domestic services have risen by between 7% and 8% over 2008, while for international services the increase is lower, at just under 5%.

Breaking the charges down suggests that, on average, aircraft-related charges have actually reduced in 2009, down by around 1% for A320-sized aircraft and by around 3% for large aircraft like the B747-400. No fewer than seven of the top ten airports have reduced their aircraft charges for the B747-400. The biggest fall has come at Munich, while the largest increase has come at Amsterdam.

The only losers are small aircraft like the 29-seat Jetstream, whose aircraft-related charges have risen by more than 6% as large airports increasingly seek to squeeze them out. Both Amsterdam and Frankfurt posted increases of over 25% for small aircraft in their 2009 charges.

To pay for the overall charges increases, therefore, passenger charges have seen a steep increase relative to 2008. Domestic passenger charges have risen by 11%, while international charges are up by between 8% and 11%. The largest increases have come at Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Munich, with Rome the only airport in the top 10 where passenger charges have been reduced.

So, if you are a domestic passenger on a small aircraft, then both you and the airline will be paying considerably more to use large airports. In fact, if you are a passenger on any service, it will likely cost you much more in 2009 than it did in 2008. If you operate large aircraft, then your airport charges may be cheaper than they were in 2008, but only because your passengers will be paying more in the form of airport taxes.

The full analysis of the top 50 airports in Europe will be published in mid-May in the Airport Charges Monitor 2009. Contact Chris Haynes at chris.haynes@airportcharges.com to order your copy now.