Ballina Byron Gateway Airport Explained

Ballina Byron Gateway Airport
Image2-Width:250
Iata:BNK
Icao:YBNA
Type:Public
Operator:Ballina Shire Council
Opened:October 1986
Location:Ballina, New South Wales
Elevation-F:7
Coordinates:-28.8333°N 153.5617°W
Pushpin Map:New South Wales
Pushpin Label:YBNA
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in New South Wales
Website:ballinabyronairport.com.au
Metric-Rwy:Yes
R1-Number:06/24
R1-Length-M:1,900
R1-Surface:Asphalt
Stat-Year:March 2022–23
Stat1-Header:Passengers
Stat1-Data:650,323
Stat2-Header:Aircraft movements
Stat2-Data:6,831
Footnotes:Sources: Airservices Australia, BITRE[1]

Ballina Byron Gateway Airport is a regional airport located at Ballina, New South Wales, Australia. It is owned and operated by Ballina Shire Council. It opened in October 1986.[2] It serves Ballina and the nearby town of Byron Bay, a 20-minute drive north. Ballina Byron Airport handled 650,323 passengers between March 2022 and March 2023 making it the 16th busiest airport in Australia.[3]

It is 5km (03miles) from the Ballina CBD, in Southern Cross Drive. An occasional bus service operates to and from the airport, except on Christmas Day.

In 2005 Ballina Airport was renamed Ballina Byron Gateway Airport in a bid to attract more people to the area.[4]

In 2022 a new access road was constructed along with upgrades to the car parking and pedestrian access.[5] Further upgrades are proposed in the short-medium term to support the increasing passenger volumes including expanding the check-in area, expanding the departure hall and providing additional retail facilities, expanding the baggage collection capacity and additional taxiways, private aircraft terminal, air control tower and additional jet parking bays.[6]

Other Users

The Ballina Aero club, which was established in 1928, has a club house located in the general aviation hangar area. Use of the club house is available to transiting pilots.[8]

Air T&G operate a fleet of helicopters on sight seeing, fire bombing and training duties.

Black Swan Aviation is a general aviation aircraft maintenance facility carrying out all types of maintenance.

Classic Aero Adventure Flights operates a CAC Winjeel on warbird joy flights around the local district.

White Star Aviation provides flight training, Tecnam aircraft sales and FBO services. Cirrus Aircraft also operate an office inside White Star Aviation's facilities.

Australia's only Cirrus Vision SF50 (rego N755DS) is stored at Ballina Byron Gateway Airport.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Airport Traffic Data 2023 . Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics. September 2023 . 4 October 2023 .
  2. Vist of the first commercial flight to Ballina Australian Aviation issue 36 January 1987 page 14.
  3. Web site: Domestic aviation activity August 2023 . 4 October 2023 . Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics.
  4. Web site: Ballina Airport Travel Guide . 2024-07-18 . www.travelonline.com.
  5. Web site: Discover Ballina - Airport Boulevard Now Open . 2023-10-04 . www.discoverballina.com.au.
  6. Web site: 20 April 2023 . Ballina Shire Commercial Services Meeting Agenda . 4 October 2023 . Ballina Shire Council.
  7. https://www.bitre.gov.au/sites/default/files/Domestic_airline_activity_2018_19.pdf Australian Domestic Airline Activity
  8. Web site: Ballina Aero Club Inc – Ballina Aero Club . Ballinaaeroclub.org.au . 2022-04-23.