Auckland Airport Sense

Wednesday’s NZ Herald Editorial on Auckland Airport was a welcome breath of fresh air. It said:

There are those who maintain that an infrastructural monopoly as important as the airport should not pass into foreign or private hands at any price. They, presumably, are opposed to Wellington-based Infratil’s control of airports such as Prestwick, near Glasgow, and Luebeck, in Germany. A more logical line of analysis would consider what has been delivered at Mangere and what the Dubai company is offering.

A NZ company owns airports in the UK and Germany. If you start going all protectionist, then many NZ companies are going to be shut out of investing overseas, and generating wealth for NZ shareholders.

The Independent also had a good story on the proposed sale. They find in the bid from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, that this could lead to Emirates expanding their routes and even possibly having Auckland International Airport a regional hub.  Now this could mean cheaper prices with more competition.  The key is that the proposal should be taken on its merits, not just rejected because the proposed owners are foreign.  They can’t take the airport overseas with them!