Abstract

This paper analyses the deregulation process and regulation policy in the sector of handling services in the airport Italian system introduced by the EU Directive of 1998 and examines their main effects in terms of prices, quality and investments. There are two main conclusions. The first one is that the huge drop in prices caused by the potential competition was neither accompanied by an increase in service quality nor by an improvement of airports' security, while the airport firms registered a dramatic worsening of their economic results. The second conclusion is referred to the negative impact of regulation on the path of investments in the industry: in contrast to the needs of development and modernisation of the Italian air transport system.