Snake Bay Airport

Last updated

Snake Bay Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
Operator Tiwi Island Regional Council
Serves Melville Island, Australia
Location Milikapiti, Northern Territory
Elevation  AMSL 173 ft / 53 m
Coordinates 11°25′22″S130°39′13″E / 11.42278°S 130.65361°E / -11.42278; 130.65361
Map
Australia Northern Territory location map.svg
Airplane silhouette.svg
YSNK
Location in the Northern Territory
Snake Bay Airport
Runways
Direction LengthSurface
mft
13/311,4404,724 Asphalt
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart [1]

Snake Bay Airport( IATA : SNB, ICAO : YSNK) is located at Milikapiti, Northern Territory on the northern coast of Melville Island, Australia.

Contents

History

World War II

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) built the airfield as a forward fighter aerodrome, during World War II as part of the proposed strategic amphibious operations by Allied forces against the Tanimbar Islands and Kai Islands. It was proposed to accommodate a RAAF Fighter Wing and a United States Army Air Forces Fighter Group.

Construction was started on 7 July 1944, by No. 9 Mobile Works Unit RAAF with the help of 40 Aboriginal People. The airfield was operational on 30 August 1944. Two side by side runways 1,829 m (6,001 ft) long were constructed. [2]

The airfield was never fully utilized as the proposed amphibious operations were canceled and replaced with the New Guinea campaign. The airfield was known as Austin Strip and RAAF Melville Island.

Units based at Austin Strip

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Air Ngukurr Darwin
Fly Tiwi Darwin, Pularumpi

See also

References

  1. YSNK – Snake Bay  (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia , effective 12 June 2025, Aeronautical Chart Archived 13 January 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  2. OzatWar website