PULA AIRPORT MANAGEMENT

Biljana KonevHead of the legal affairsPula Airport Ltd, Croatia

PULA AIRPORT MANAGEMENT

Biljana KonevHead of the legal affairsPula Airport Ltd, Croatia

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WALA`s 2nd conference, Ciudad Real, 17-19 May 2009

PULA AIRPORT

Introduction

• Exists over 40 years now, located on the North-west coast of Croatia, on the Istrian Peninsula

• Highest PAX flow in the late 80ies: cca 700.000, in 2008 400.000

• Target: 700.000 PAX until 2015, eventually 1 million PAX

• International flights: 80-85%, half of that Russia and UK

• 80% charter flights

CATCHMENT AREA

• Istrian region with Liburnia and Kvarner (3.500,000 inhabitants within 200 km)

OWNERSHIP

• AIRPORTS ACT 1998: 7 Croatian airports -subjects of national interest

• Each of them limited company (Ltd), 55% owned by the State, 45% owned by the local government

PULA AIRPORT

1) The Republic of Croatia 55% 2) Istrian county 15% 3) City of Porec 15% 4) City of Pula 8% 5) City of Labin 3% 6) City of Rovinj 2% 7) City of Pazin 1% 8) City of Buje 1%

STATE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION THROUGH:

1. Directorate general for the civil aviation (DGCA)- operates within the Ministry of the Sea, Traffic and Infrastructure;

2. Agency for civil aviation (Agency)- founded recently, took over part of Directorate’s work (the most important part being safety), 100% owned by the State, directly responsible to the Government

BUT, STATE AS THE OWNER:

• Manages the airport through the Ministry responsible for Civil Aviation (i.e. Minsitry of Sea, Transport and Infrastructure),

• Being organizational unit within the Ministry,DGCA “…have the compentences in civil aviation delegated by the Minister, provided, however, that the Minister shall remain overall responsible for ensuring that DGCA properly and lawfully exercises any duty or power that has been so delegated.”

CONSESSIONS ACT 2008

• Explicitly allows „concessions on airports“

PUBLIC & PRIVATE OWNERSHIP ACT 2008

• private investment on public property• also one of the possible bases for concessions

NATIONAL LAW

• AIR TRAFFIC ACT 1998, soon to be replaced with

• AIR TRAFFIC ACT 2009

INTERNATIONAL / EU LAW• ICAO, MONTREAL CONVENTION, OPEN SKIES…• ECAA, in force in Croatia since 2008 - sets the common rules in order to establish the

European Common Aviation Area- Commission has the power to review the acting of the Contracting party- Resolution of problems: by the Joint Committee: representatives of all parties- ECJ – in case the Joint Committee cannot solve the

problem

• STATE AID RULES:- Based on article 70 of the Stabilization and

Association Agreement, on January 28th 2009 the Government issued a Decision with the most recent State Aid rules

- All the documents in force in the EU, including ECJ decisions

- All the documents concerning State Aid rules became national law: Community guidelines on financing of airports and start-up aid to airlines departing from regional airports, the Altmark decision, all the relevant Regulations and Directives…

CONCLUSION

• Airports in Croatia publicly owned: managed by the State and the local government

• Only recently concession on airports explicitly in a legal document,

• Legal situation not very different from that within the EU, due to: ICAO convention and harmonization process in the area (ECAA and all the documents Croatia has to apply according to the ECAA)

Thank you!