However, airport chief executive John McCall said the airport needed to come up with an arrangement for private-hire vehicles to stop people poaching legitimate business from other operators.
Since last October, only Southern Taxis and Super Shuttles have been allowed to park at the designated rank immediately in front of the terminal building, after winning shuttle service tenders with Dunedin International Airport Ltd.
Taxi companies that did not have a licence could drop people off and collect pre-booked passengers, but not casual passengers, at the northern end of the terminal.
Soon after that arrangement was put in place, Kiwi Shuttles, which previously offered shuttle services from the airport, slashed its fares, undercutting by 50% those operators awarded the tenders.
The new arrangement is that anyone operating a private-hire vehicle (a vehicle, including any taxi, that is pre-booked on an agreed-fare basis) from the airport must hold a licence issued by the airport company.
The licence will cost either $50 a year for a smaller vehicle or $110 a year for vehicles seating seven or more, and will only be issued to airport company-approved drivers and vehicles.
From 2010, one licence condition will require vehicles operating at the airport to be less than seven years old.
Taxi operators contacted said costs could be passed on to the customer, but the rule that vehicles must be less than seven years old would prevent many of them from working out of the airport.
Mr McCall said other operators using the airport, including on-demand taxis, had arrangements with the company, but pre-chartered private-hire vehicles did not.
A system was needed, especially to stop operators coming and taking business from those who came under other arrangements.
"It brings everybody into line."
Bill Collie, of Dunedin Taxis, said the cost of buying a van less than seven years old would be up to $60,000, and could not be passed on to customers.
"It's just not viable. This is going to drive us underground."
United Taxis owner Bill Overton said a backlash always followed the introduction of new policies, but the older-vehicle clause of the agreement was a concern for his company, which did much work from the airport in older vehicles.
"If the vehicles still get a warrant and they have passed the strict COF [certificate of fitness], then why can't they get into the airport?"Other operators were affected in different ways.
Classic Jaguar Limousines owner Steve McNulty said he could understand what the airport company was trying to achieve, but it meant "quite a significant cost increase" to companies such as his.
The new system meant his 11 vehicles, some of which were specialised or classic vehicles, and therefore exempt from the vehicle-age rule, would cost in total $550 a year to licence, even though some of them only went to the airport once or twice a year.
"A lot of my business is actually for the benefit of the airport and Dunedin, so it's a bit . . . you know."
The number of rules and the demerit system outlined in the new agreement were bordering on "childish".
Mr McCall said the licence conditions were about providing a good service.
"At the end of the day, we want to ensure we have the best possible service delivery and a comfortable experience for people to and from the airport."
