Survival of the fittest? : challenges to regional aviation and regional communities from the privatisation of Australia's airports

The privatisation of airports was intended to be positive for rural and regional Australia. Yet airlines and other airport users have expressed concern that airport operators are privately controlled monopolies (local councils) with little regard for the welfare of airport users and communities, taking a profit perspective in contrast to the provision of community services. This position is imposing greater challenges on regional aviation. There is evidence that government departments accept that there are significant economic benefits associated with development of regional areas; that accessibility for regional and remote communities is a matter of general equity and that they could assist airport operators to be more accountable and responsible for reducing their costs by efficiency gains. It is argued that government intervention is necessary to control the dominance of privatised airport operators, provide equity of opportunities, and safeguard the rights of least-advantaged citizens.