Mackay Airport

Last updated

Mackay Airport
Mackay Airport logo.png
Mackay Airport Departures
Mackay Airport , Queensland, 2023.jpg
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorMackay Airport Pty Ltd
Location Mackay, Queensland
Elevation  AMSL 19 ft / 6 m
Coordinates 21°10′15″S149°10′57″E / 21.17083°S 149.18250°E / -21.17083; 149.18250
Website www.mackayairport.com.au
Map
Australia Queensland location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
YBMK
Location in Queensland
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
mft
14/321,9816,499Asphalt
Statistics (2010–11 [1] )
Passengers1,049,172
Aircraftmovements14,945
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart [2] and BITRE [3]

Mackay Airport( IATA : MKY, ICAO : YBMK) located in South Mackay, Queensland, Australia is a major Australian regional airport that services the city of Mackay, with flights to the cities of Brisbane, Rockhampton, Townsville, Hamilton Island, Cairns, Sunshine Coast and Melbourne . In the year ending 30 June 2012, [1] the airport handled 969,900 passengers making it the 14th busiest airport in Australia. [3]

Contents

The airport attracts a diverse range of carriers to service the travel needs of the business, commercial, industrial, leisure and visiting friends and relatives sectors.

Mackay is a thriving mining, agricultural, industrial and regional business centre that also supports a growing tourism industry and is a gateway to the Whitsunday coast and islands.

History

Moves to establish an airport at Mackay began in 1927, when Captain Ron Adair selected the site of the town commons for the construction of an aerodrome, and landed the first plane in Mackay there, his own Avro biplane.[ dubious – discuss ] The Mackay City Council agreed in February 1930 to apply to excise land from the commons for aviation purposes, and in April 1930 the Mackay Aerodrome was officially opened by the mayor Ian Wood. [4] The controller of civil aviation in Australia issued an airport licence on 9 March 1931.

In 1938, the airport held an airshow featuring ten aircraft, which attracted over 8,000 spectators.

Mackay Airport had grass landing strips until 1940, when the Commonwealth Government extended the airport's boundaries and upgraded the runways to unsealed gravel for use during World War II. Until 1945, Mackay Airport served as an important operational military base due to its proximity to the South West Pacific Area. In 1948, the main runway was extended, and in 1958 it was further upgraded, sealed and strengthened.

In 1941, the Commonwealth Government took control of the airport from the Mackay City Council, and built a new passenger terminal in 1953. The old terminal is still in use today, with a flight school operating out of one of its tenancies, offering a variety of pilot training programs in addition to more advanced flying qualifications. In 1984, the government offered control of the airport back to the council, which refused. It then offered the airport to the Mackay Port Authority, then changed its mind and announced the airport would be run by the Federal Airports Corporation. This move prompted an angry local reaction in Mackay, which eventually led to the port authority gaining control of the airport.

Present

The Old Terminal Building at Mackay Airport in 2023 Mackay Airport Old Terminal Building.jpg
The Old Terminal Building at Mackay Airport in 2023

Mackay Airport is used by most major airlines operating in Australia: Qantas subsidiaries QantasLink and Jetstar and Virgin Australia.

Despite the collapse of airlines Ansett Australia and Flight West Airlines in 2001, Mackay Airport experienced considerable growth in subsequent years, due to the use of the airport by Virgin Australia and the expansion of QantasLink services.

In November 2008, Mackay Airport was sold to a private consortium to fund the development of Mackay Hospital. [5]

In the year 2008, [1] the airport handled 837,416 passengers making it the 15th busiest airport in Australia. [3]

In January 2010, Auckland International Airport Limited, announced plans to purchase almost 25 per cent of North Queensland Airports (NQA), operator of the airports at Cairns and Mackay, for about $167 million. Synergies for Auckland Airport with North Queensland Airports include better management of the airports' operations and working more closely with each other to attract airlines that currently don't fly to either. NQA stands to be a good stand-alone investment for future economic growth for the state of Queensland, as international tourism for the area of Northern Queensland increases, thus, illustrating a significant increase in demand for future international flights to the airports.

In September 2015, Tigerair Australia announced it was suspending the Mackay-Melbourne service [6] due to decline in passenger numbers.

Jetstar operated a Mackay-Gold Coast route from June 2014 until September, 2015. It was also suspended due to a small number of passengers. [7]

In March, 2016 Regional Air began regular charter flights between Mackay and Hamilton Island, however Regional Air have now ceased operations.

In 2016, the cross runway 05/23 (1,344 m x 30 m) [8] was closed and partially converted into a taxiway [9] due to prohibitive lighting and pavement maintenance costs. [10]

In July 2021, local flight training organisation, Horizon Airways, was acquired by local investors and expanded substantially. Horizon Airways has expanded to a fleet of 9 aircraft, and provides regular charter flights to various local locations, particularly Keswick and Hamilton Islands.

In February 2022, Bonza announced that the airport would become one of its 17 destinations with the airline planning to fly to the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne and Cairns from Mackay [11]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Bonza Gold Coast, [12] Melbourne, [13] Sunshine Coast [14]
Jetstar Brisbane
Qantas Brisbane
QantasLink Brisbane, Cairns, Rockhampton, Townsville
Virgin Australia Brisbane

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Pel-Air Brisbane
Toll Aviation Brisbane, Mount Isa

Statistics

Annual passenger traffic at MKY airport. See Wikidata query.

Operations

Busiest domestic routes into and out of Mackay Airport
(Year Ending June 2022 [1] )
RankAirportPassengers carried % changeAirline carriers
1Flag of Queensland.svg  Queensland, Brisbane Airport 565,00016.8Jetstar, Qantas, QantasLink,

Virgin Australia

2Flag of Queensland.svg  Queensland, Cairns Airport no data yetno data yetQantasLink
2Flag of Queensland.svg  Queensland, Townsville Airport no data yetno data yetQantasLink
2Flag of Queensland.svg  Queensland, Rockhampton Airport no data yetno data yetQantasLink

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Airport</span> International airport serving Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Melbourne Airport, known locally as Tullamarine Airport, is the main international airport serving the city of Melbourne, the capital of the Australian state of Victoria. It is the second busiest airport in Australia. The airport operates 24/7 and has on-site parking, world-class shopping and dining. The airport opened in 1970 and replaced Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the main international airport of the four airports serving the Melbourne metropolitan area, the other international airport being Avalon Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cairns Airport</span> Airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest airport in Australia. The airport is located 2.3 nautical miles north northwest of Cairns or 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north of the Cairns central business district, in the suburb of Aeroglen. The airport lies between Mount Whitfield to the west and Trinity Bay to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brisbane Airport</span> International airport serving Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Brisbane Airport is an international airport serving Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland. The airport services 31 airlines flying to 50 domestic and 29 international destinations, total amounting to more than 22.7 million passengers who travelled through the airport in 2016. In 2016, an OAG report named Brisbane airport as the fifth-best performing large-sized airport in the world for on-time performance with 87% of arrivals and departures occurring within 15 minutes of their scheduled times, slipping from 88.31% the year before. It covers an area of 2,700 hectares, making the airport the largest in land area in all of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gold Coast Airport</span> Airport in Queensland, Australia

Gold Coast Airport is a domestic and international Australian airport located at the southern end of the Gold Coast and approximately 90 km (56 mi) south of Brisbane, within the South East Queensland agglomeration. The entrance to the airport is situated in the suburb of Bilinga near Coolangatta. The main runway itself cuts through the state borders of Queensland and New South Wales. During summer, these states are in two different time zones. The Gold Coast Airport operates on Queensland Time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avalon Airport</span> International airport Greater Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Avalon Airport is a domestic airport, located in Avalon in the City of Greater Geelong in Victoria, Australia. While located outside the Melbourne metropolitan area, it is the second busiest of the four airports serving the state capital in passenger traffic. It is located 15 km (9 mi) north-east of the Geelong CBD and 50 kilometres (31 mi) south-west of the Melbourne CBD. The airport is operated by Avalon Airport Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Linfox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Launceston Airport</span> Airport in Tasmania, Australia

Launceston Airport is a regional airport on the outskirts of Launceston, Tasmania. The airport is located in the industrial area of Western Junction 15 km (9.3 mi) from Launceston city centre. It is Tasmania's second busiest after Hobart Airport; it can also run as a curfew free airport.

QantasLink is a full-service, regional brand of Australian flag carrier Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. As of 2024, QantasLink provides over 2,000 flights each week to over 50 metropolitan and regional destinations across Australia, as well as short-haul international services to New Zealand, Singapore, the Solomon Islands and East Timor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Townsville Airport</span> Airport in Queensland, Australia

Townsville Airport is a major Australian regional airport that services the city of Townsville, Queensland. The airport is also known as Townsville International Airport, and Garbutt Airport, a reference to its location in the Townsville suburb of Garbutt. Townsville Airport is serviced by major Australian domestic and regional airlines, and in 2011/12 handled 1.7 million passengers making it the 11th busiest airport in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunshine Coast Airport</span> Airport in Queensland, Australia

Sunshine Coast Airport is an Australian international airport located in Marcoola, 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Maroochydore, at the northern end of the Sunshine Coast. It is approximately 90 km (56 mi) north of centre of Brisbane, within the South East Queensland agglomeration. The airport is owned by Sunshine Coast Regional Council and is the principal and only jet-capable airport serving an urban area of nearly 400,000 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newcastle Airport (New South Wales)</span> Airport serving Newcastle, Australia

Newcastle Airport is an international airport in Williamtown, New South Wales. It is located 15 kilometres; 9.2 miles (8 NM) north of Newcastle in Port Stephens. It is the 13th busiest airport in Australia, handling over 1.25 million passengers in the year ended 30 June 2017, an increase of 6.6% on the previous year. The airport occupies a 28 ha (69-acre) site on the southern border of RAAF Base Williamtown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockhampton Airport</span> Airport

Rockhampton Airport is a major Australian regional airport in West Rockhampton, Queensland that services the city of Rockhampton, with direct flights to various major centres in Queensland, as well as Melbourne in Victoria. Flights have previously operated to Sydney but were cancelled due to lack of passenger numbers. The airport runway has the capability to handle aircraft such as the Airbus A380, Boeing 747 and Boeing 777.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Island Airport</span> Airport on Hamilton Island, Queensland, Australia

Hamilton Island Airport, also known as Great Barrier Reef Airport, is a privately owned public use aerodrome and is the main airport on Hamilton Island. The airport is settled on mostly reclaimed land and is commercially served year-round by Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas. Hamilton Island Airport handles flights from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hervey Bay Airport</span> Airport

Hervey Bay Airport is the main airport for the city of Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia and the Fraser Coast region which incorporates the nearby city of Maryborough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albury Airport</span> Airport in Albury, New South Wales, Australia

Albury Airport is a regional airport located 2 nautical miles northeast of Albury, New South Wales, Australia. The airport, which also serves Albury's adjacent twin city of Wodonga, Victoria, was the fifth busiest in New South Wales as of 2016–17, handling 257,769 passengers. However, like most Australian airports, the impacts of travel restrictions and state border closures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant reduction in revenue passengers. ABX handled 107,934 passengers in the 2021–22 financial year and was the 32nd busiest airport in Australia. In addition to regular public transport flights, Albury airport handles a relatively large number of charter, freight, agricultural, and general aviation aircraft movements and hosts the official weather station for Albury–Wodonga.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitsunday Coast Airport</span> Airport in Queensland, Australia

Whitsunday Coast Airport, also known as Proserpine Airport, is located in Gunyarra, Queensland, Australia, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) south of Proserpine. The airport serves the mainland and offshore islands with flights to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne (Jetstar).

Gladstone Airport is an airport serving Gladstone, a city in the Australian state of Queensland. It is located in the suburb of Clinton, about 10 km (6.2 mi) from the town's centre, off Aerodrome Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bundaberg Airport</span> Airport in Queensland, Australia

Bundaberg Airport is a regional airport serving Bundaberg, a city in the Australian state of Queensland. It is located 2.5 nautical miles southwest of the city centre, on North Childers Road and Takalvan Street. The airport is owned and operated by the Bundaberg Regional Council. It is also known as Bundaberg Regional Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tamworth Regional Airport</span> Airport

Tamworth Airport is a regional airport serving Tamworth, a city in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is located 10 km (6.2 mi) from the town centre, on New Winton Road. The airport is owned and operated by the Tamworth Regional Council and is listed as being 5 nautical miles west of the city. It is also known as Tamworth Regional Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigerair Australia</span> Defunct low-cost airline of Australia (2007–2020)

Tiger Airways Australia Pty Ltd, operating as Tigerair Australia, was an Australian low-cost airline. Founded by Tiger Airways Holdings, it commenced services in the domestic airline market on 23 November 2007 as Tiger Airways Australia. It later became a subsidiary of Virgin Australia Holdings. On 25 March 2020, Tigerair suspended all operations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following Virgin Australia Holdings going into voluntary administration and later sold, new owner Bain Capital confirmed the brand would be retired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport</span> Airport in Queensland, Australia

Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport is an airport in Wellcamp, 8.4 nautical miles west from the CBD of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Fiscal year 1 July – 30 June
  2. ↑ YBMK – Mackay  (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia , effective 21 March 2024, Aeronautical Chart Archived 10 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 1 2 3 "Airport Traffic Data 1985–86 to 2010–11". Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics. May 2012. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012. Refers to "Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations only"
  4. ↑ "Mackay Aerodrome". Daily Mercury. Mackay. 26 April 1930.
  5. ↑ "Treasurer announces successful sale of Mackay airport" . Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "Tigerair to end Mackay – Melbourne Service - Mackay Airport". www.mackayairport.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  7. ↑ "Jetstar to end Mackay – Gold Coast Service - Mackay Airport". www.mackayairport.com.au. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "Final report on the audit of critical transport and power infrastructure in northern Australia" (PDF). Infrastructure Australia. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  9. ↑ "Mackay Airport Aerodrome Manual" (PDF). Mackay Airport. 26 February 2021. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  10. ↑ "Cross runway closure could hurt tourism, light aviators". Courier Mail. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Bonza Announces New Destinations". Bay939Radio. Bay939. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  12. ↑ "Bonza Launches Gold Coast Base in Nov 2023". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Bonza April/May 2023 Melbourne Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  14. ↑ "Bonza Outlines Operational Network in 1H23". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.