Airservices Australia draft price notification released

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has publicly released the draft price notification submitted by Airservices Australia proposing an increase to the prices it charges airlines for its services.

The submission, made in April, followed extensive aviation industry engagement undertaken in 2025 on Airservices’ proposed pricing arrangements, which will enable investment in critical infrastructure to support the growth of Australia’s aviation sector.

The ACCC will now seek stakeholder feedback on the submission, which proposes a series of increases over the next five years, and represents the first significant step in a reset of Airservices’ asset base, designed to deliver resilient air traffic management and aviation rescue fire fighting (ARFF) capability to meet rising demand and integrate new technologies.

As Australia’s air navigation service provider, Airservices has delivered a 24% price reduction in real terms (i.e., adjusted for inflation) since 2015-16 leveraging aging assets. Under the draft price notification, Airservices is proposing to increase its prices by a weighted average 12% in real terms annually over the five-year pricing period.

The proposed annual increases are equivalent to around $1.50 per passenger per one-way airfare (on average), with a lower impact on regional airfares of approximately $1 per passenger (assuming the full price increase is passed onto passengers).

If approved, the price increase would enhance Airservices’ ability to deliver major capital investments such as OneSKY; air traffic management and ARFF services at Western Sydney International Airport, and our Enterprise Network Modernisation Program, which will deliver a next-generation network and telecommunications platform to support service expansion.

It would also support the rising costs of providing Terminal Navigation, Enroute Services and ARFF services at Australia’s airports.