Labor's infrastructure spokesman Anthony Albanese has responded to news that Sydney Airport Corporation chairman Max Moore-Wilton plans to retire.

Mr Albanese issued a statement to the Canberra press gallery containing just one word: "Good".

The one-word statement confounded Sydney Airport staff, who rang Mr Albanese's office to check if it was genuine.

The men have had a long-running feud over a second Sydney airport.

In 2011, Mr Moore-Wilton threatened to sue Mr Albanese if he dared to repeat comments he made in the House of Representatives outside of the Parliament.

Mr Albanese had accused Mr Moore-Wilton of a conflict of interest in his role as chairman of Sydney Airport.

"If he said it outside Parliament, he would be sued to within an inch of his life," Mr Moore-Wilton said at the time.

Mr Albanese's speech came in the context of heated disagreements over the need for a second airport in Sydney. Mr Albanese, who supports the construction of another airport, said Mr Moore-Wilton was entitled to oppose one.

"But as the head of a company that has a monopoly over the existing airport, any fair analysis would conclude that he has an enormous conflict of interest," he said.

Mr Moore-Wilton plans to step down in May.

with Latika Bourke

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