The AAA, the airports' peak body, lobbed the first hand grenade.

It said the recent senate committee inquiry into regional airfares was frustrated by a lack of transparency by domestic airlines and the committee called for an open and transparent approach to how regional airfares are determined in its report.

The AAA said it supported a standalone public inquiry on the determinants of domestic airfares and slammed Qantas for its secrecy over its pricing mechanisms.

Regional Express was quick to hit back for the airlines.

Rex said the AAA was hypocritical as its own members have never disclosed its basis for the "astronomical head taxes they impose which in some cases can amount to over $50 for a one-hour flight".

It was interesting that neither Rex nor the airports incurred the wrath of the Senate inquiry with the former praised for its community fare scheme while the latter's charges were not a significant part of airfares, the Inquiry found.

The big two, Qantas and Virgin, have stayed out of the regional air fares stoush with good reason as both are culpable when it comes to price gouging regional travellers.

They preferred to attack the big city airports.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, this week revealed as Australia's highest paid CEO on a staggering $24 million a year, said fees and charges from monopoly airports were excessive and damaging the economy.

"Airports continue to reap super-profits because there is no real threat of intervention to moderate their behaviour," Mr Joyce said.

Virgin Australia boss Paul Scurrah chimed in saying an unregulated industry allowed airports to set prices however they see fit.

Given the cost of some Virgin flights I've seen out here, I'm thinking it's a case of pot meet kettle.

This is all jostling ahead of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg's release of a Productivity Commission report later this year, which will make decisions on future regulations of airports.