| Emerald Airport | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: EMD – ICAO: YEML | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Owner/Operator | Central Highlands Regional Council[1] | ||
| Serves | Emerald, Queensland, Australia | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 624 ft / 190 m | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Map | |||
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YEML
|
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| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 06/24 | 1,900UNIQ641d021f6,375,817e-ref-029CBF05-QINU | 6,234 | Asphalt |
| 15/33 | 926UNIQ641d021f6,375,817e-ref-029CBF08-QINU | 3,038 | Gravel |
| Statistics (2009-2010) | |||
| Revenue passengers | 124,063 | ||
| Aircraft movements | 2,527 | ||
| Sources: Airservices Australia,[2] BITRE[3] | |||
Emerald Airport (IATA: EMD[4], ICAO: YEML) is an airport serving Emerald,[2] a town located in the Central Highlands district of Queensland, Australia. It is located 6 km (4 miles) south of the Emerald town centre, on Springsure Road.[1][5] The airport is operated by the Central Highlands Regional Council.[2]
Emerald Airport is currently serviced by QantasLink Dash 8 Q400's flying an average of five flights on weekdays, and three on weekends.[6]
Contents |
The airport resides at an elevation of 624 feet (190 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 06/24 with an asphalt surface measuring 1,900 by 30 metres (6,234 × 98 ft) and 15/33 with a gravel surface measuring 926 by 18 metres (3,038 × 59 ft).[2]
Emerald Airport recently spent $7.7 million extending the terminal and refurbishing the old terminal. This was complete in the last quarter of 2010.[7] During this refurbishment, a new flight information system was created which is now displayed throughout the airport and online.[8]
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| QantasLink operated by Sunstate Airlines | Brisbane |
| Virgin Australia operated by Skywest Airlines | Brisbane (commences 16 January)[9] |
Emerald Airport was one of more than 21 regional Australian airports assessed by Virgin Australia for its viability. If it were to service the airport it would be using Embraer E-Jets to service the route to/from Brisbane as neither the airport nor the town is big enough to handle the larger Boeing 737 aircraft commonly used by the airline. As of January 2010, no formal announcement had been made regarding the date of commencement of these services. However, in January 2010, the airline stated that it was looking to commence services to either Emerald, Gladstone or Bundaberg. Commencement of services to any of these three airports would break the monopoly that QantasLink currently holds on services.[10] Of the three potential destinations, Emerald has the smallest population and Civil Aviation Safety Authority approval would also be required for services, as the runway is not wide enough to handle the Embraer 170 or Embraer 190.
On 4 October 2011, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines announced that, from 16 January 2012, double-daily 68-seat ATR-72 services would be operating on weekdays between Emerald and Brisbane to "bring choice and competitive fares for travel to and from this important mining hub"[11]. Passengers will receive a refreshment onboard this service, and it is expected that a Virgin Australia "Lounge" facility may open within the terminal, in order to further compete with the recently-opened Qantas Regional Lounge within the terminal.
Emerald Airport was ranked 40th in Australia for the number of revenue passengers served in financial year 2009-2010.[3]
| Year | Revenue passengers | Aircraft movements |
|---|---|---|
| 2001-02 |
34,474
|
1,698
|
| 2002-03 |
41,229
|
1,786
|
| 2003-04 |
47,714
|
1,816
|
| 2004-05 |
61,736
|
2,081
|
| 2005-06 |
78,651
|
2,421
|
| 2006-07 |
95,690
|
2,204
|
| 2007-08 |
106,758
|
2,403
|
| 2008-09 |
119,832
|
2,529
|
| 2009-10 |
124,063
|
2,527
|