Proposed Airport Dues Accepted

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30215, 21 August 1963, Page 14

Proposed Airport Dues Accepted

(Mew Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 20. The recommendations of a committee of inquiry appointed in May, 1962, to investigate airport and airways dues had been considered and accepted by the Cabinet, the Minister of Civil Aviation (Mr McAlpine) announced today.

These recommendations will be incorporated in the Civil Aviation Charges Regulations, to take effect on April 1, 1964. The amount of dues payable will be approximately the same as under the existing system but there will be some variations in individual cases. Domes'll c airways dues remain as a percentage oif gross revenue earned Domestic airport dues, previously based on revenue toad uplifted or hours flown, will be converted to a percentage basis of gross revenue earned from public licensed airfield. It is not practicable to apply this method of charging to international flights and under the new regulations the fee collected will be based on aircraft weight, as is the case in most othei countries. Under the new system local

authorities responsible for management of an airport will collect the airport dues, which have hitherto been collected by the Air Department and passed on to the local atiitihorities. “I appointed this committee at the request of both (he Municipal Association and the Aviation Industry Association,” said Mr McAlpine. "The committee conducted extensive public hearings at which every interested party was given full opportunity to present submissions or to cross-question any party making a submission,” said Mr McAlpine. “In view of .he representation on the committee there should be no sectional dissatisfaction “In making its report the committee has come to unanimous conclusions and made firm recommendations. The changes recommended are not major ones and are, in effect, a rationalisation of the existing system on a more equitable basis," he said.