Moruya Airport is an airport located northeast of

Moruya Moruya is a town located on the far south coast of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the Moruya River. The Princes Highway runs through the town that is about south of Sydney and from Canberra. At the , Moruya had a population of 4,29 ...

, New South Wales, Australia, at the mouth of the

Moruya River The Moruya River is an open and trained mature wave dominated barrier estuary or tidal river is located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. In its upper freshwater reaches, the river is known as the Deua River. Course a ...

. It is one of two airports with regular passenger flights in the state's

South Coast South Coast is a name often given to coastal areas to the south of a geographical region or major metropolitan area. Geographical Australia *South Coast (New South Wales), the coast of New South Wales, Australia, south of Sydney * South Coast (Q ...

region, but also caters to general aviation and tourism operators, as well as emergency services.

History

First licensed as an aerodrome in 1939, Moruya airport was acquiredby the

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF) as RAAF Base Moruya in 1942. Three runways were laid out adjacent to the mouth of the

. Moruya was home to No. 11 Operational Base Unit to provide support for RAAF aircraft utilising the airfield. With ownership transferred to the Department of Civil Aviation following the war, it was not until the 1960s that the airfield was upgraded with the installation of navigation aids and runway lights. Between 2005-06 and 2010–11, the number of revenue passengers handled by the airport grew from 16,759 to 20,301.

2019-20 bushfire emergency

During the 2019–20 bushfire emergency, the airport and adjacent river were a staging point for aerial firefighting efforts. In December 2019, a catastrophic bushfire cut road links, isolating the town. The resulting highway closures left Moruya Airport as a vital resource in the protection of the local region from the devastating bushfires.

Operations

Moruya Airport is a regional hub for a variety of emergency services, providing vital services for the local region that otherwise would not exist without the airport. The

Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service The Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter Service is a helicopter surf lifesaving service that operates in Australia. Founded in 1973 by Surf Life Saving Australia, a not-for-profit organisation, the service has carried out more than 80,000 fli ...

has maintained a base at Moruya Airport since 2010, providing a search and rescue service with specialist medical crews, while other aeromedical retrieval services including Toll Air Ambulance and the Royal Flying Doctor Service regularly visit the airport. During bushfire seasons, fleets of firefighting aircraft are stationed at Moruya Airport to aid in bushfire protection. Passenger service is provided by Regional Express using Saab 340

turboprops A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...

several times a week to and from Sydney, with most inbound flights continuing to

Merimbula Merimbula is a town on the Merimbula Lake, located on the Far South Coast or Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, Australia. At the , the population was 3,544. The population within 10 km of the Merimbula Post office is over 18,000 people ...

to the south. The small terminal is located to the East of the runway, sharing a parking lot with a beachside camping ground. Other operators include the Moruya Aero Club and a small flying school. A number of tourism focussed businesses are located at Moruya Airport. Skydive Oz conduct parachuting operations from a facility at the airport, regularly hosting the annual NSW & ACT State Skydiving Championship. South Coast Seaplanes, based at the airport offer a charter service and scenic flights. They announced plans for scheduled flights between Moruya and

Lake Burley Griffin Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River, which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle, was dammed. It is named after Walt ...

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ...

twice per week in 2022, subject to a number of approvals.

Airport facilities

The airfield has a two sealed runways orientated North to South and Northeast to Southwest. The primary runway, 18/36 measures and is equipped with pilot-operated lighting for night operations, while the shorter 04/22 is in length and is used mainly by light aircraft. The volume of traffic at the airport is generally low, so there is no control tower. Instead, pilots are required to communicate via a

Common Traffic Advisory Frequency Common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) is the name given to the VHF radio frequency used for air-to-air communication at United States, Canadian and Australian non-towered airports. Many towered airports close their towers overnight, keeping ...

(CTAF) to safely co-ordinate arrivals and departures. A Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) previously located at the airport was decommissioned in 2016. Both

Avgas Avgas (aviation gasoline, also known as aviation spirit in the UK) is an aviation fuel used in aircraft with spark-ignited internal combustion engines. ''Avgas'' is distinguished from conventional gasoline (petrol) used in motor vehicles, wh ...

and

Jet A1 Jet fuel or aviation turbine fuel (ATF, also abbreviated avtur) is a type of aviation fuel designed for use in aircraft powered by gas-turbine engines. It is colorless to straw-colored in appearance. The most commonly used fuels for commercial a ...

fuel is available.

Eurobodalla Shire Council Eurobodalla Shire is a local government area located in the South Coast region of New South Wales, Australia. The Shire is located in a largely mountainous coastal region and situated adjacent to the ''Tasman Sea'', the Princes Highway and the ...

is planning to enlarge the terminal, increase the size of the apron, extend the runway and build a parallel taxiway.

Airlines and destinations

References

External links

RAAF Museum WebpageMoruya Aero Club
{{authority control Airports in New South Wales South Coast (New South Wales) Airports established in 1942 1942 establishments in Australia