A public authority can exercise both a public function as well as it can enter contracts. An airport is exercising a public function when it maintains the airport and imposes landing fees and taxes on passengers who pass through the airport which you have no choice but to pay if you use the airport.
The airport can also enter contractual relationships for other fuctions such as de-icing which the airline can do itself or pay the airport to do if they choose. In such a case I think the airport authority would be a subcontractor and the primary liability to the passenger would be the airline, and if the de-icing doesn't take place due to equipment breakdown, the airline could turn to the airport for reimbursement if they have to compensate passengers.
The primary liability is on the airline because the passenger contracts with the airline not the airport when he buys his ticket for travel.
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