Fri May 16 19:20:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

A group of Polish MPs are raising concerns about the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PAŻP), a state-owned monopoly responsible for air navigation, alleging a lack of cost control and potential abuse of its dominant position. The MPs highlight the agency’s high personnel costs (averaging over 447,000 złoty annually per employee) and question whether these costs, passed on to passengers in the form of higher ticket prices, are justified. They also criticize the lack of oversight from regulatory bodies like the UOKiK (Office of Competition and Consumer Protection) and the Ministry of Infrastructure, and the potential conflict of interest within the system, where the same ministry oversees both PAŻP and the entities that could challenge its fees. They are demanding an investigation to ensure the interests of passengers are protected.

**News Article:**

**MPs Allege Air Navigation Monopoly Driving Up Flight Prices in Poland**

**WARSAW** – A group of Polish Members of Parliament is sounding the alarm over the operations of the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PAŻP), accusing the state-owned monopoly of lacking adequate cost controls and potentially inflating air ticket prices.

In a formal interpellation to the Prime Minister, MPs led by Jerzy Polaczek raised serious concerns about PAŻP’s financial practices, pointing to nearly 1 billion złoty spent on personnel costs for approximately 2,100 employees in 2024. This translates to an average annual salary exceeding 447,000 złoty per employee, a figure higher than the salaries of top government officials.

The MPs question whether this level of spending is justified, especially given PAŻP’s monopolistic position. They allege that the agency’s costs are passed on to passengers in the form of higher air navigation fees, ultimately driving up the price of flights.

“This monopoly isn’t due to market strength, but the legislative and administrative structure of the state,” the interpellation stated. “Protecting consumer interests…cannot be entrusted solely to market mechanisms because they don’t exist.”

The MPs are also critical of the lack of oversight from the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) and the Ministry of Infrastructure, arguing that these bodies have failed to adequately scrutinize PAŻP’s operations. They also point to a potential conflict of interest, as the Ministry of Infrastructure oversees both PAŻP and the airlines and airports that could potentially challenge its fees.

The MPs are demanding an urgent investigation into PAŻP’s financial practices and a review of the regulatory framework governing the agency. They are calling on the Prime Minister and the head of the UOKiK to ensure that the interests of Polish air passengers are protected and that the state’s monopoly is not being abused. The group claims that numerous inquiries into the PAŻP operations have gone unanswered.

The interpellation raises serious questions about the transparency and accountability of state-owned monopolies and whether current regulations are sufficient to protect consumers from potentially unfair pricing practices.

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