The Swedish Market Court prohibits airport operator Swedavia and its contractor EuroPark from abusing their dominant positions by imposing unfair fees for taxis

The Swedish Market Court prohibited today, following an application for summons filed by Uppsala Taxi 100 000 AB,  the state-owned airport operator Swedavia and its contractor EuroPark from imposing a fee for pre-ordered taxis to the major Swedish airport Arlanda in Stockholm, under penalty of a fine of EUR 200 000.

Swedavia and EuroPark imposed new routines in February 2011 for travelers that wish to preorder a taxi to Arlanda Airport. Arlanda outside Stockholm is the major airport in Sweden. For starting to administer the pre-orders for taxis Swedavia and EuroPark have taken a fee of approximately
3 EUR for those customers that want to wait in line for a taxi at a service desk and approximately
5 EUR for those who want to be met by a taxi driver directly in the entrance area of the major terminal, holding a sign with the customer’s name.

Uppsala Taxi has during approximately thirty years met the customers that have pre-booked their taxis in the entrance area of the major terminal without charging any fees for this and does not consider that there is a need for the administrative services which Swedavia and EuroPark have imposed.

The Market Court, which is the last instance in Swedish competition law cases, found that the fee for the taxi companies, when meeting passengers in the entrance area with a sign with their name, constituted abuse of dominant position through unfair pricing and issued a prohibition under penalty of a fine of approximately EUR 200 000.

Uppsala Taxis’s counsel, Elisabeth Eklund, Senior Associate at Advokatfirman Delphi, is content with the Market Court’s judgment.

– It is very positive that the Market Court puts an end to Swedavia’s and EuroPark’s unfair pricing. It sends a clear signal for dominant companies not to abuse their dominant position. 

For additional information please contact;
Elisabeth Eklund, Advokatfirman Delphi, elisabeth.eklund@delphi.se, tel. +46-709-252608

Advokatfirman Delphi has expert knowledge in all areas of commercial law. An important part is Corporate Finance, with a large amount of domestic and cross border mergers & acquisitions and an extensive Banking, Finance and Capital Markets practice. The firm has also distinguished itself particularly within high-technology oriented legal areas such as IT, Telecommunications, Intellectual Property and Life Science and it has a well-reputed group for public procurement, EU and competition law. Delphi co-operates with law firms all over the world and has business in China and Eastern Europe. We total approximately 190 co-workers with about 140 lawyers throughout offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Linköping and Norrköping.

Uppsala Taxi 100 000 AB was founded in 1926 and is the largest taxi company in Uppsala, the fourth largest city in Sweden.

Swedavia AB is owned by the Swedish state. Swedavia owns and operates  11 airports in Sweden, inter alia Arlanda airport.

EuroPark AB is the second largest private parking company in Sweden. EuroPark won a public procurement organised by Swedavia for operating the taxi queues at Arlanda airport.