ANA cuts fees for car rental companies without on-site airport offices

 

New regulations are due to come into force on the 1 of March 2015 that will regulate the business activity of car rental companies which do not have on-site airport offices. Around one year after ANA - Aeroportos de Portugal, owned by VINCI Airports, first began drafting the new regulations, negotiations have culminated in a final version of the document, featuring significantly lower charges than those set forth in the first version.

In a joint effort with the management boards of two of the car rental sector's business associations, ARAC (Associação dos Industriais de Aluguer de Automóveis sem Condutor, “Association of Car Rental Companies”) and ARA (Associação das Empresas de Rent-a-car do Algarve, “Association of Rent-a-Car Companies of Algarve”), ANA made a number of changes to its initial proposal. These changes related to the tariff system, the dedicated locations where car rental companies without an on-site office could conduct their business, and the simplification of information flows and their administrative processing.

Specific regulations were drafted for each of the three mainland airports, including dedicated areas in which these companies could conduct their operations and with specific tariffs. The amount these companies will have to pay when renting a vehicle using the ticket system will be between € 8.50 and € 9.00. This will entitle them to use a specific car park for between 45 and 60 minutes for the purpose of processing the rental. Pre-paid monthly, quarterly, six-monthly and annual options will also be available.

This sum is significantly lower than the fee envisaged in the first draft of the regulations, which was € 17.00 per vehicle.

The new regulations (for each of Lisbon, Porto and Faro Airports) were published on ANA's public website – www.ana.pt – on the 29 of January 2015. They were also sent by post to the two sector associations involved in the revision of the regulations and to a number of car rental companies with which ANA has been establishing business relationships.

The ANA airports in question have thus formalised the new rules which will apply to the business operations of car rental companies that do not have on-site airport offices, and which will now be governed by the new regulations.

The fact that the various operators can be included in one of the two business models will benefit customers, who will enjoy greater security and better quality service in every respect. Tourism, a strategic activity for Portugal, and one in which ANA plays an important role, will also benefit.

Thanks to this initiative, equal and fair conditions will be put in place for the different types of companies (with or without on-site airport offices). The rates to be charged will vary on the basis of the different business models and the conditions for accessing and conducting business in the terminals will be regulated.

Consult new regulations here