Airlines must pay for their weather forecasts

Press, 27 December 1985, Page 2

Airlines must pay for their weather forecasts

PA Auckland Airlines will have to pay for their weather forecasts from January 1, and many are angry about the decision. The airlines say a decision to bill them a total of $l.B million a year “came out of the blue” in a letter from the Ministry of Transport. The Ministry said the levy was part of the Civil Aviation Division’s policy of recouping all costs from operators. Some operators are pressing their Aviation IndustryAssociation to appeal against the levy. All pilots leaving on cross-country flights with passengers have to get a meteorological forecast. The charge to airlines will be 0.4 c in every $1 revenue earned on tickets and freight charges. The Ministry expects to recoup $1.5 million from domestic services and $300,000 from international services. Airlines already pay 7 per cent of their revenue to the Government in airways dues for navigation facilities and air traffic control. This account is believed to be “in surplus” at

the moment. The managing director of Sea Bee Air, Mr Murray Pope, said, “One of the infuriating things is that the meteorological people seem to rely as much on us as we do on them for weather information. “On at least half, our flights, the bureau rings up and asks what the weather was like on the route flown,” he said. Sea Bee Air expects to pay about $BOOO a year on the levy. The Air New Zealand bill will be about $1 million. Because it amounts to less than half of 1 per cent on earnings, operators say it would be difficult to recoup by increasing fares. However, it could make all the difference in profitability on some small provincial services, say operators. Mr Charles Haywood, managing director of the New Plymouth-based Nationwide Aviation, said he was “unbelieving” when he got the news. “It seemed incredible that it should be imposed without any consultation with the industry," Mr Haywopd said.