| Canberra International Airport / Canberra Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Land side of the new terminal building | |||
| IATA: CBR – ICAO: YSCB
CBR
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| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Capital Airport Group Pty Ltd[1] | ||
| Serves | Canberra | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 1,888 ft / 575 m | ||
| Website | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 17/35 | 3,273 | 10,738 | Asphalt |
| 12/30 | 1,679 | 5,509 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2010) | |||
| Passengers | 3,258,396 | ||
| Source: List of the busiest airports in Australia | |||
Canberra International Airport (IATA: CBR, ICAO: YSCB), now trading as Canberra Airport, is the airport serving Australia's capital city, Canberra, and the city of Queanbeyan, NSW. Located at the eastern edge of North Canberra,[2] it is the 8th busiest airport in Australia. The airport is the main hub for Brindabella Airlines.[3] Although there are no current international flight services, Air Pacific briefly offered a service to Fiji in 2004.[4][5] Canberra Airport is managed and operated by the Canberra Airport Group Pty Ltd. The Airport has two runways known as the 17/35 and the 12/30 runways. The airport serves flights to and from domestic destinations, mainly in eastern Australia. Canberra Airport handled 3,061,859 passengers in the year ending 30 June 2009. Since 2009, the Canberra Airport Main Terminal is being replaced in a major redevelopment set for completion in 2012. The Southern Extension of the new terminal was completed in November 2010, however, the Western Extension is yet to be constructed.[6]
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The Airport is located at the intersection of Canberra's main East-West artery (Parkes Way/Pialligo Avenue) and Eastern Ring Road (Monaro Highway/Majura Road) near the semi-rural suburb of Pialligo about 8–10 minutes drive from the city centre, 15 minutes from Gungahlin and 10 minutes from Queanbeyan at non-peak times; travel times can be much longer at peak times due to traffic congestion.
The land is currently divided into five areas:
The airport was built up from an old airstrip that was first laid down in the 1920s, not long after the National Capital site was decided. In 1939 it was taken over by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), with an area leased out for civil aviation.
On 13 August 1940, in what became known as the Canberra air disaster, a RAAF Lockheed Hudson flying from Melbourne crashed into a small hill to the east of the airport. Four crew and six passengers, including the Chief of the General Staff and three Federal Government ministers, were killed in the accident. James Fairbairn, Minister for Air and Civil Aviation, was one of those killed and Fairbairn Airbase the eastern component of the airport was subsequently named after him. In 1962 the military side of the Airport was renamed RAAF Base Fairbairn. The North-East quadrant of the Airport still retains the Fairbairn name.
The lease to the site was sold to Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd[10] in 1998, and the RAAF area was sub-leased back to the Department of Defence. It was decommissioned as a RAAF base in 2003, (although No. 34 Squadron RAAF remains based there), and the RAAF area was renamed Defence Establishment Fairbairn.
In the years since the sale of the lease to Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd, a series of upgrades have taken place at the Airport including major terminal upgrades. In early December 2007, plans were announced to construct a new terminal,[11][12] but these plans were placed on hold in late 2008.[13]
Over a dozen office buildings have also been built on Airport land at Brindabella Business Park[7] and Fairbairn.[8] A retail precinct called Majura Park has been established on Airport land along Majura Road.[9]
The Canberra Spatial Plan released by the ACT Government in March 2004 identified the airport and surrounding areas as being an important centre for future industrial and related development.[14]
Several new hangars and buildings have been erected in both Fairbairn and near the terminal. A 600m extension to the airport's runway and upgrades to runway systems were completed in 2006.[15]
In 2008, the management of Canberra International Airport launched an advertising campaign in support of the idea of having Canberra considered as Sydney's Second Airport. The slogan they were using was "Is the solution to Sydney's second airport still 20 years away? Less than 3 hours actually." Their point of view is presented at "Canberra is the Only Serious Solution to Sydney's Air Traffic Problems."[16]
The Federal Transport Minister Anthony Albanese rejected Canberra International Airport's draft master plan in November 2008 on the grounds that it did not provide enough detail on the proposal to develop the airport into a freight hub and the airport's community consultation had been insufficient.[17] The Airport's 2005 master plan was also criticised by the then-Howard Government for not providing enough information.[13]
In the second half of 2008, Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd started referring to itself as "Canberra Airport".[18]
In early December 2007, plans were announced to construct a new terminal, with constructions commening in July 2008, and completion set for September 2010.[19] When completed, the terminal would have 6 aerobridges (an increase of 2), 32 check-in counters, (twice the current number), 2,500 car parking spaces (doubled), three times the baggage belt capacity, and the floor area of the lounge facilities would be quadrupled.[11][12]
These plans were placed on hold in late 2008 as a result of the Global economic crisis.[13]
In April 2009, Canberra Airport announced that it would spend $350 million on a number of infrastructure projects:[20]
Changes to the terminal will include:[20]
They have placed a 4.5 minute animated video of the planned finished product on their website.[21]
The project was given the go ahead by Canberra International Airport executive chairman Terry Snow, to start late 2009. It was approved by the Australian Government in February 2008. The new terminal will increase space by 65%. There will be 10 airbridges (upon the completion of the final stages some time in the future), two 4 level car park and an under-cover taxi rank. Space will be made for the future requirements of International flights.[22]
In 2010, 8 Brindella Circuit, a building located in the administration area of the Airport precinct, won the 5 Green Stars Australian Excellence Award.[23]
In 2002 and 2007 Canberra Airport won the Australian Airports Capital City Airport of the Year Award.[24]
The former Qantas Terminal at Canberra Airport, located on the Western side of the building, has now been closed and all Qantas, Qantaslink and Brindabella Airlines flights and related services such as lounges now operate from the new Southern Concourse Terminal. The terminal was demolished in 2011 to make way for the building of a second Western Concourse Terminal.[6]
The Common User Terminal is located on the far Eastern side of the building. The terminal serves Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways Australia, however until 2001 this terminal was the home of Ansett Australia's operations from the airport.The former Ansett Golden Wing Club is currently the home of Virgin Australia's "The Lounge", the former Ansett Executive Lounge has been demolished.[25] However, after the construction of the new Southern Extension, only the terminal's departure lounge and gates 5 and 6 are in use. The common user terminal is set for demolition during the course of the next 2 to 3 years.[6]
The newly built Southern Concourse Terminal completed construction in late 2010 and came into service on the 14 November.[26] The terminal will serve all airlines for check-in including Tiger Airways Australia, Qantas, Virgin Australia and Brindabella Airlines. However, until the completion of the Western Concourse Terminal, only Qantas will use the departure gates – all other airlines will continue to use the departures area of the existing common user facility.[6] The Southern Concourse Terminal also includes The Qantas Club, The Qantas Business Class Lounge and The Qantas Chairman's Lounge (all co-located between Gates 11 and 12).
The Western Concourse Terminal will be the final addition to Canberra Airport set for completion in 2012. When completed the terminal will conjoin onto the Southern Concourse Terminal.[19]
The General Aviation Terminal in Canberra Airport is a separate building located on the Far West Side of the Terminal Precinct. The terminal serves the ACT Emergency Services Aviation Wing, Australian Federal Police Air Wing, The Royal Flying Doctor Service, NSW Air Ambulance and Wingaway. The Terminal also holds the aircraft maintenance facilities.[27]
Approach and departure corridors lie over largely rural and industrial areas, although the instrument approach path (from the south) passes near the New South Wales suburb of Jerrabomberra, the city of Queanbeyan, and the Royal Australian Navy base, HMAS Harman, which has some barracks and housing.
Proposals have been made to the NSW Planning Minister by various developers to approve housing estates that are under the southern flight paths in New South Wales. Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd[10] has been vigorous in advertising its opposition to these plans on the basis of a general increase in noise levels over a wide corridor which is currently free of aircraft noise,[28] and concern that this will lead to the imposition of a curfew on the hours-of-operation of the airport.[29]
Curfew for Canberra[30] has been formed in response to the changes proposed in Canberra Airport’s draft 2008 Master Plan, in particular the night time aircraft movements and the impact this will have on the quality of life for all residents of the Canberra region. Its membership draws on the residents associations from around the ACT. One of the key platforms is the introduction of a night time curfew at Canberra Airport. The core objectives of Curfew 4 Canberra include: secure an 11pm-6am curfew; oppose Canberra Airport becoming a 24 hour freight hub; oppose Canberra Airport becoming Sydney’s 2nd Airport; oppose the construction of a parallel (third) runway.
Access to and from the Canberra airport terminal is primarily by car, hire car or taxi. Canberra Cabs and partner taxi companies provide services to the airport taxi rank, with cabs waiting when flights come in.
Royale Limousines operates Airport Express, which provides daytime mini-bus services to Canberra City.[31]
Deane's Buslines operates route 834 to nearby Queanbeyan.[32]
Canberra airport terminal is not serviced by ACTION, Canberra's public bus service.[33] During weekdays, ACTION operates five services to various parts of the airport site (to/from City/Belconnen (10), City (737 - peak only), Gungahlin (757 - peak only), Tuggeranong (786 - peak only), Weston Creek and Woden (28 - peak only)), but these stop at Brindabella Business Park, Fairbairn Business Park and Majura Park, not at the terminal itself. These locations are some distance from the main terminal building, making them impractical for passengers with luggage.
Coach services operate from Canberra Airport to the New South Wales Snow Fields. These coach services are operated by: Grand Touring Coaches, Greyhound Australia, Hummingbird Charters and Transborder.[34]
The road system around Canberra Airport and the road between Civic and Canberra Airport was being duplicated as at July 2008, partly funded by Canberra Airport and the ACT Government. Federal Labor has also committed to further road improvements in the area through the extension of the Monaro Highway.[35][36]
The Chief Minister of the ACT Government, Jon Stanhope, initially blamed the Commonwealth for the increased traffic congestion around the airport, which he claims has occurred due to the construction of office buildings on airport land,[37] however, Mr Stanhope later stated that while he accepted the development of the airport adds to the level of traffic on the roads, it is not the cause of the congestion during peak periods.[38] The ACT Government established a roundtable working group to examine the roads around the Airport and identify solutions to the road congestion through the Majura Valley.[39] The roundtable identified that the cause of the road traffic was increased traffic from Gungahlin, the expansion of the airport and Queanbeyan's growing population.[40][41] The working group recommended a staged approach to solving the traffic congestion, with Stage 1 including the duplication of Pialligo Avenue, Morshead Drive and Fairbairn Avenue.[42]
On 10 February 2009, Canberra Airport released its preliminary draft master plan which announced that a high speed rail link between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne was being considered. The plan was shortlisted in December 2008 by Infrastructure Australia for further consideration, however it was the most expensive project shortlisted, and has not attracted any funding from any government. If completed, it would link Sydney to Canberra in around 50 minutes, making Canberra Airport a viable second international airport serving Sydney. However, Newcastle, New South Wales and Southern Highlands, New South Wales are other potential locations for a second airport.[43]
In the 2009 Canberra Airport Masterplan, future targeted regional and international destinations were outlined. In the next 5 years destinations such as Cairns and Sunshine Coast are planned to be introduced. In the next ten years destinations such as Avalon, Dubbo, Launceston, Bankstown and Coffs Harbour, and in the long term destinations as Alice Springs and Armidale could be introduced. The Master Plan also outlined a number of possible future international routes. In the short term New Zealand, Singapore, Indian Subcontinent and parts of Europe are possible. In the Medium term Fiji, Bali and China are also very likely to be introduced as new routes from Canberra Airport.[44]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Brindabella Airlines | Albury, Newcastle, Tamworth |
| Qantas | Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney |
| QantasLink | Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney |
| Virgin Australia | Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville |
| Virgin Australia operated by Skywest Airlines | Sydney [45] |
| Year | Actual [46] |
2003 Forecast [46] |
|---|---|---|
| 1982–83 | 708,000 | |
| 1997–98 | 1,825,000 | |
| 2000–01 | 2,110,000 | |
| 2001–02 | 1,840,000 | |
| 2002–03 | 1,920,991 | |
| 2003 | 2,075,000 | |
| 2003–04 | 2,305,517 | 2,176,603 |
| 2004–05 | 2,479,000 | 2,280,557 |
| 2008–09 | 2,829,882 | |
| 2014–15 | 3,476,797 | |
| 2019–20 | 4,270,094 | |
| 2024–25 | 5,212,007 |
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