Internationally recognized experts will analyse the benefits of introducing competition into the airport sector and discuss its implications in terms of regulation needs and social welfare.
How can competition be applied to the airport sector? Does competition between airports make them more efficient? What elements might distort this competition? These are just some of the questions that will be addressed at the Conference on Airport Competition, organised by the Barcelona Economics Institute and the Fedea-Abertis Chair at the University of Barcelona on November 19. At the meeting, international and national experts will present the results of their research in this field.
The meeting will specifically examine the Spanish case, where the public sector continues to operate the state’s airports in a network system that renounces the benefits of competition. A roundtable, chaired by Jaume Adrover (CEO of Gestión y Promoción Aeroportuaria), will also analyse the promotion of air routes. Participating in the discussion will be Mario Rubert, the director of international economic relations in Barcelona’s City Council; and Bob Bullock, director of Luton Airport operations. The closing conference talk will be given by Damià Calvet, responsible for regional transport in the Catalan Government.
Internationally recognized experts
The speakers include a number of internationally recognised experts in the field. Professor Hans-Martin Niemeier (University of Applied Sciences, Bremen, Germany) will examine different types of airport competition in the light of recent international experiences. Professor Peter Forsyth (Monash University, Australia) will analyse how airports should be regulated in a competitive framework and identify the potential welfare gains of introducing competition. Finally, Mike Tretheway (InterVISTAS, Canada) will discuss the possible distortions and negative effects of government intervention, including investment financing distortions and those resulting from the concession of subsidies to airlines.
The conference is aimed at academics with interests in the field of transport and competition; government representatives in the field of transport and competition and representatives of firms operating in the sector.
