Newcastle Airport (Williamtown)
Encyclopedia
Newcastle Airport is 14 kilometres (9 mi) north of Newcastle
, New South Wales
(27 km (17 mi) by road) in Port Stephens. It is the 12th busiest airport in Australia, handling almost 1.2 million passengers in the year ending 30 June 2009, which is 107,000 more than in 2007-08.
and Port Stephens Council, and managed by Newcastle Airport Limited.
The airport runway is shared with the RAAF Base Williamtown
. Even though this base is a military airfield, civilian operations are permitted. Jetstar, Virgin Australia, QantasLink
, Aeropelican
, Brindabella Airlines
and Norfolk Air
operate flights to Sydney
, Melbourne
, Brisbane
, Gold Coast
, Canberra
, Port Macquarie and Norfolk Island
. The airport is leased from the Federal Government for civilian air travel until 2045.
The largest aircraft operating at Newcastle airport is a Virgin Australia Boeing 737
-800. The civil apron can handle aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767
. Future upgrades to the apron will allow the Airbus A330
and Boeing 787
-sized aircraft to operate from the airport.. The airport can handle anything up to a Boeing 747
.
The terminal facilities were upgraded in November 2005 to cope with future demand and security requirements. In that same year, Newcastle Airport was named Regional Airport of the Year by the Australian airports industry.
Impulse Airlines
, a regional airline
and later one of Australia's first low cost airlines, established a base at the airport in the early 1990s, creating a maintenance facility. Following Qantas
' acquisition of Impulse in 2001, the airport became the maintenance base for Jetstar's Airbus A320
fleet. The base also provides third party aircraft maintenance for the Qantaslink Boeing 717
.
International Flights to New Zealand
were started by Freedom Air
in 1995 using Boeing 737
these services have since been discontinued.
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(27 km (17 mi) by road) in Port Stephens. It is the 12th busiest airport in Australia, handling almost 1.2 million passengers in the year ending 30 June 2009, which is 107,000 more than in 2007-08.
Overview
The airport is jointly owned by the Newcastle City CouncilCity of Newcastle
Newcastle City Council is a Local Government Area in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia.-Demographics:According to the Australian Bureau Statistics the City of Newcastle had an estimated resident population of 154,777 as of 30 June 2008...
and Port Stephens Council, and managed by Newcastle Airport Limited.
The airport runway is shared with the RAAF Base Williamtown
RAAF Base Williamtown
RAAF Base Williamtown is a Royal Australian Air Force base and headquarters to Australia's Tactical Fighter group. The base is located north of the coastal city of Newcastle, New South Wales in the Local Government Area of Port Stephens. The military base shares its runway facilities with...
. Even though this base is a military airfield, civilian operations are permitted. Jetstar, Virgin Australia, QantasLink
QantasLink
QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines. As of September 2010 QantasLink provides 1900 flights each week to 54 domestic and...
, Aeropelican
Aeropelican Air Services
Aeropelican Air Services Pty Ltd is a regional airline based in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Its main base is Newcastle Airport , with a hub at Sydney Airport.- History :...
, Brindabella Airlines
Brindabella Airlines
Brindabella Airlines Pty Ltd is a regional airline based in Canberra, Australia. It is a Qantas affiliate airline operating a small regional network. Its main base is Canberra International Airport.- History :...
and Norfolk Air
Norfolk Air
Norfolk Air is an airline based on Norfolk Island, it is currently an operating department of the Administration of Norfolk Island , flights are operated by Our Airline and operating under an Australia Airline Operators Certificate...
operate flights to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, Port Macquarie and Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean located between Australia, New Zealand and New Caledonia. The island is part of the Commonwealth of Australia, but it enjoys a large degree of self-governance...
. The airport is leased from the Federal Government for civilian air travel until 2045.
The largest aircraft operating at Newcastle airport is a Virgin Australia Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
-800. The civil apron can handle aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767
Boeing 767
The Boeing 767 is a mid-size, wide-body twin-engine jet airliner built by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It was the manufacturer's first wide-body twinjet and its first airliner with a two-crew glass cockpit. The aircraft features two turbofan engines, a supercritical wing, and a conventional tail...
. Future upgrades to the apron will allow the Airbus A330
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body twin-engine jet airliner made by Airbus, a division of EADS. Versions of the A330 have a range of and can accommodate up to 335 passengers in a two-class layout or carry of cargo....
and Boeing 787
Boeing 787
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is a long-range, mid-size wide-body, twin-engine jet airliner developed by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. It seats 210 to 290 passengers, depending on the variant. Boeing states that it is the company's most fuel-efficient airliner and the world's first major airliner to use...
-sized aircraft to operate from the airport.. The airport can handle anything up to a Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
.
The terminal facilities were upgraded in November 2005 to cope with future demand and security requirements. In that same year, Newcastle Airport was named Regional Airport of the Year by the Australian airports industry.
Impulse Airlines
Impulse Airlines
Impulse Airlines was an independent airline in Australia which operated regional and low cost trunk services between 1994 and 2001. It was acquired by Qantas in 2001 and later formed the basis of Qantas' low-cost airline Jetstar...
, a regional airline
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
and later one of Australia's first low cost airlines, established a base at the airport in the early 1990s, creating a maintenance facility. Following Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
' acquisition of Impulse in 2001, the airport became the maintenance base for Jetstar's Airbus A320
Airbus A320
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
fleet. The base also provides third party aircraft maintenance for the Qantaslink Boeing 717
Boeing 717
The Boeing 717 is a twin-engine, single-aisle jet airliner, developed for the 100-seat market. The airliner was designed and marketed by McDonnell Douglas as the MD-95, a third-generation derivative of the DC-9. Capable of seating of up to 117 passengers, the 717 has maximum range of...
.
International Flights to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
were started by Freedom Air
Freedom Air
Freedom Air was Air New Zealand Group's low-cost airline which operated from December 1995 to March 2008. It ran scheduled passenger services from New Zealand to Australia and Fiji and charter services within New Zealand...
in 1995 using Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
these services have since been discontinued.
Airlines and destinations
Operations
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | % Change | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brisbane AirportBrisbane Airport Brisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area... |
578,900 | 3.0 | Virgin Australia, Jetstar, QantasLink |
| 2 |  Melbourne AirportMelbourne Airport Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the... |
354,900 | 7.6 | Virgin Australia, Jetstar |
| 3 | Gold Coast Airport Gold Coast Airport Gold Coast Airport, or Coolangatta Airport, is an Australian domestic and international airport on the Gold Coast and is located some south of Brisbane and 25 km south of Surfers Paradise. The entrance to the airport is situated in the suburb of Bilinga on the Gold Coast... |
162,500 | 14.3 | Jetstar |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | % Change | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane Airport Brisbane Airport Brisbane Airport is the sole passenger airport serving Brisbane and the third busiest in Australia, after Melbourne and Sydney Airports. Brisbane Airport has won many awards. Located in the suburb with the same name, the airport serves the city of Brisbane and the surrounding metropolitan area... |
48,400 | 2.1 | Virgin Australia, Jetstar, QantasLink |
| 2 | Melbourne Airport Melbourne Airport Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the... |
32,800 | 10.4 | Virgin Australia, Jetstar |
| 3 | Gold Coast Airport Gold Coast Airport Gold Coast Airport, or Coolangatta Airport, is an Australian domestic and international airport on the Gold Coast and is located some south of Brisbane and 25 km south of Surfers Paradise. The entrance to the airport is situated in the suburb of Bilinga on the Gold Coast... |
16,200 | 48.1 | Jetstar |
Future international services
- AirAsia XAirAsia XAirAsia X is a long-haul, budget airline based in Malaysia. The airline is operated by AirAsia X Sdn. Bhd. . It commenced operations on 2 November 2007. Its first service flew from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia, to Gold Coast Airport in Australia...
has investigated using Williamtown Airport for flights to Kuala LumpurKuala LumpurKuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
in Malaysia. - Pacific BluePacific Blue (airline)Pacific Blue Airlines is an airline based in New Zealand. It was established as the New Zealand subsidiary of Australian airline Virgin Blue...
has shown interest in operating flights between Newcastle and Auckland or Christchurch using Embraer E-JetsEmbraer E-JetsThe Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
aircraft and possibly Boeing 737'sBoeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
.