• The UOKiK initiated four sets of preliminary proceedings pertaining to the practices of Polish airport operators.
• The airports covered by the analysis are located in Warsaw, Modlin, Cracow and Katowice.
• The Competition Authority will examine whether the parking rules applicable to Kiss & Fly zones are not inconsistent with competition law.

Kiss & Fly zones designed for quick stopover with no parking fees are now available on many airports. Detailed rules for the use of such zones, such as parking time or number of free entries, differ between individual airports. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection examined which airports have made such zones available and what terms and conditions apply to the users thereof.

“The airports in Warsaw, Modlin, Cracow and Katowice have the least advantageous terms and conditions for short stopovers. For this very reason, we wish to check whether these airports may in fact be abusing their market position and act to the prejudice of other undertakings. The practices applied by these airports may have a detrimental impact on consumers who wish to drop off or pick up their friends or family members at the airport. One should note that, at the present stage, we are only conducting preliminary proceedings, which only pertain to the case in general and not against any particular undertakings” – says Marek Niechciał, the President of UOKiK.

The undertakings which may suffer the most as a result of such practices are the businesses which operate car parks located near airports. Passenger pick-up and drop-off remains an important part of their business activities. In such cases, entering the Kiss & Fly zone on multiple occasions becomes a necessity. For the above reason, one of the aspects to be examined in the course of the proceedings shall be whether the limits on free entries and the associated fees do not have the effect of pushing such businesses out of the market.

Current terms and conditions for users of Kiss & Fly zones on four airports:

• The Warsaw-Modlin Airport: Free parking for 10 minutes, twice per every 24 hours. Any third and subsequent entry costs PLN 25 in total.
• International Katowice Airport. No free entry, each entry charged PLN 5.
• Cracow Airport. Free stay in Kiss & Ride zone up to 10 minutes, with a maximum limit of 40 minutes per day. Any additional stay charged PLN 10 for every
  10 minutes started.
• Warsaw Chopin Airport. Free parking for up to 7 minutes, every stay between 7 and 15 minutes charged PLN 30, with an additional fee of PLN 1 charged for every additional minute. Five free entries per every 24 hours, every additional entry above that limit charged PLN 5 per each.

This is yet another initiative of the UOKiK pertaining to airport operators. Last year, the Competition Authority approached the airport operators about the availability and prices of water in duty-free zones. One of the results of this initiative has been the installation of free water fountains at the Warsaw Chopin Airport.

Additional information for the media:

UOKiK Press Office 
Pl. Powstańców Warszawy 1, 00-950 Warszawa
Tel. 22 55 60 430, 695 902 088
E-mail: biuroprasowe@uokik.gov.pl

Twitter: @UOKiKgovPL