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,^[4] it is the 8th busiest airport in Australia. The airport is the main base for Brindabella Airlines.^[5] Although the airport is designated by the Australian Government as an "Designated International Airport" there are no current international flight services, Air Pacific briefly offered a service to Fiji in 2004.^[6][7] Canberra Airport is managed and operated by the Canberra Airport Group Pty Ltd. The airport serves flights to the main capital cities of Australia and to Newcastle and the Gold Coast. Canberra Airport handled 3,240,848 passengers in financial year 2011.^[8][9] Since 2009, Canberra Airport's Main Terminal is being replaced in a major redevelopment set for completion in November 2013. The southern concourse of the new terminal was completed in November 2010, and the western concourse opened in March 2013. ^[10]

Location

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 810 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 four areas:

• The passenger terminal and general aviation facility are on the western side of the main runway.
• The Brindabella Business Park is adjacent to the passenger terminal.^[11]
• The ex-air force base area, now called Fairbairn is on the eastern side of the main runway. Fairbairn is home to No. 34 Squadron RAAF, which is responsible for the operations of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) VIP transport aircraft and the area is regularly used by visiting heads of state and military aircraft in transit.
• There is a retail and mixed use section on Majura Road which has been named Majura Park.^[12]

History

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 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^[13] 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,^[14][15] but these plans were placed on hold in late 2008.^[16]

Old Terminals

The former Qantas Terminal at Canberra Airport was located on the western side of the building. All Qantas, QantasLink and Brindabella Airlines flights and related services such as lounges now operate from the new Southern Concourse Terminal. The former terminal was demolished in 2011 to make way for the building of the second Western Concourse Terminal.^[10]

The former Common User Terminal was located on the far eastern side of the building. The terminal served Virgin Australia, however until 2001 this terminal was the home of Ansett Australia's operations from the airport.^[17] However, after the construction of the new Southern Concourse, only the terminal's departure lounge and gates 5 and 6 were in use. The Common User terminal is now scheduled for demolition after the opening of the Western Concourse.^[10]

Brindabella Business Park

Over a dozen office buildings have also been built on airport land at Brindabella Business Park^[11] and Fairbairn.^[18] A retail precinct called Majura Park has been established on airport land along Majura Road.^[12]

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.^[19]

Fairbairn

Several new hangars and buildings have been erected in both Fairbairn and near the terminal. A 600m extension to one of the airport's runways and upgrades to runway systems were completed in 2006.^[20]

Airport Redevelopment

In 2008, Canberra International Airport launched an advertising campaign in support of the idea of having Canberra considered as Sydney's Second Airport. The slogan used was "Is the solution to Sydney's second airport still 20 years away? Less than 3 hours actually". This point of view was presented at "Canberra is the Only Serious Solution to Sydney's Air Traffic Problems."^[21]

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 that the airport's community consultation had been insufficient.^[22] The Airport's 2005 master plan was also criticised by the then-Howard Government for not providing enough information.^[16]

In the second half of 2008, Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd started referring to itself as "Canberra Airport".^[23]

In early December 2007, plans were announced to construct a new terminal, with works commencing in July 2008, and completion set for September 2010.^[24] When completed, the terminal would have six aerobridges (an increase of two), 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.^[14][15]

These plans were placed on hold in late 2008 as a result of the Global economic crisis.^[16]

In April 2009, Canberra Airport announced that it would spend $350 million on a number of infrastructure projects:^[25]

• three new jet aircraft parking positions under construction
• Two Structured Car Parks (each containing 1,000 parking spaces and an additional 450 spaces in two open air car parks) Both completed
• A new Southern concourse Terminal Completed in late 2010
• A Western concourse Terminal Partially Opened in March 2013 and to be completed November 2013

Changes to the terminal will include:^[25]

• International capability with dedicated customs, immigration and quarantine facilities
• More than double the number of check-in counters (from 17 to 44)
• A tripling of baggage capacity
• A quadrupling of Airline Club Lounge areas
• A two-storey roadside drop off and pick up system departures on the upper level and arrivals on the lower level
• An indoor taxi rank waiting area a first for an Australian airport

It placed a 4.5 minute animated video of the planned finished product on its website.^[26]

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 four-level car parks; and an under-cover taxi rank.^{[citation needed]} Space will be made for the future requirements of international flights.^[27]

In 2010, 8 Brindabella Circuit, a building located in the administration area of the Airport precinct, won the 5 Green Stars Australian Excellence Award.^[28]

In November 2012, a national petition was started by 10 year old Eve Cogan to name the new extensions after David Warren, inventor of the blackbox.^{[29] [30]} The petition has been supported by Captain C.B. Sully Sullenberger.^[31]

Awards

In 2002 and 2007 Canberra Airport won the Australian Airports Capital City Airport of the Year Award.^[32]

Airport Terminal

The buildings two wings, the Southern Concourse and Western Concourse is separated by The Atrium, the centrepiece of the terminal. A three-storey glass facade that gives a view of the runway as well as the landscaped gardens on the front side of the terminal.^[33]

Southern Concourse

Construction of the Southern Concourse was completed in late 2010 and came into service on 14 November.^[34] Qantas uses its check-in counters and departure gates.^[10] The Southern Concourse also includes The Qantas Club, The Qantas Business Class Lounge and The Qantas Chairman's Lounge.

Western Concourse

The Western Concourse opened in March 2013 and conjoins onto the Southern Concourse Terminal. Virgin Australia and Brindabella Airlines use its check-in counters and departure gates.^[35]The Western Concourse also includes the 300 seat Virgin Lounge and Virgin's invitation-only The Club. ^[36]The western concourse also contains space for customs, immigration and quarantine facilities to be introduced when Canberra Airport adds international flights to its current domestic-only services.^[37]

General Aviation Terminal

The General Aviation Terminal in Canberra Airport is a separate building located on the far west side of the Terminal Precinct.^[38][39]

Noise, noise sharing and curfews

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^[13] 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,^[40] and concern that this will lead to the imposition of a curfew on the hours-of-operation of the airport.^[41]

Curfew 4 Canberra^[42] has been formed in response to the changes proposed in Canberra Airports draft 2008 Master Plan, in particular the nighttime 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 nighttime 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 Sydneys second airport; oppose the construction of a parallel (third) runway.

Transport

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.

Bus services

Royale Limousines operates Airport Express, which provides daytime mini-bus services to Canberra City.^[43]

Deane's Buslines operates route 834 to nearby Queanbeyan.^[44]

Canberra airport terminal is not serviced by ACTION, Canberra's public bus service.^[45] 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. The closest Action bus stop is approximately a five-minute walk away at Brindabella Business Park.

Coach services operate from Canberra Airport to the New South Wales Snow Fields.^[46]

Road traffic and road traffic congestion

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.^[47][48]

The Chief Minister of the ACT Government, Jon Stanhope, initially blamed the Commonwealth for the increased traffic congestion around the airport, which he claimed had occurred due to the construction of office buildings on airport land,^[49] however, Mr Stanhope later stated that while he accepted the development of the airport added to the level of traffic on the roads, it was not the cause of the congestion during peak periods.^[50] 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.^[51] 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.^[52][53] 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.^[54]

Future

High-speed rail link proposal

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.^[55]

Airlines and destinations

Statistics

Total passengers and aircraft movements

Busiest domestic routes

See also

• Transportation in Australia
• United States Army Air Forces in Australia (World War II)
• List of airports in territories of Australia

References

External links

• Canberra Airport official site