Williamtown Airport

Newcastle Airport is north of Newcastle, New South Wales ( by road) in Port Stephens. It is the 13th busiest airport in Australia, handling over 1.25 million passengers in the year ended 30 June 2017, an increase of 6.6% on the previous year. The airport occupies a site on the southern border of RAAF Base Williamtown.

Overview

The airport is jointly owned by Newcastle City Council and Port Stephens Council, and managed by Newcastle Airport Pty Ltd. The airport and associated developments support over 3,300 jobs and contributed $1.19 billion to the economy of the lower Hunter Region in 2015.

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 and QantasLink operate flights to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Ballina. FlyPelican also operates flights to Ballina and Canberra. The airport is leased from the Federal Government for civilian air travel until 2075.

The largest aircraft currently operating to Newcastle Airport are the Boeing 737-800s of Virgin Australia. The civil apron can handle aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767. Future upgrades to the apron will allow larger Airbus A330 and Boeing 787-sized aircraft to operate from the airport terminal. The airport runway can handle aircraft up to Boeing 747 size.

History

Commercial operations began at Williamtown in 1947 when the Federal Government opened the existing Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) airport to civil aviation. The airport remained under government control until 1990 when responsibility for its operation was handed over to Newcastle City Council and Port Stephens Council. The current operator, Newcastle Airport Pty Ltd, was formed by the two councils in 1993.

Scheduled services to the airport commenced in February 1948, with Trans Australia Airlines using Douglas DC-3 aircraft to service a Sydney–Newcastle–Brisbane route. A new passenger terminal was constructed in 1975. During the 1970s, Masling Airlines operated Cessna 402 aircraft on commuter flights between Newcastle and Sydney, and in 1980 with the acquisition of larger Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante aircraft added a Newcastle – Canberra route. Passenger numbers increased during the 1980s with new airlines and routes serving the airport, including jet services utilising Fokker F28s of Air New South Wales and Ansett Boeing 737s.

Impulse Airlines established a base at the airport in the early 1990s, creating a maintenance facility. In 1994, Impulse added the first direct Newcastle – Melbourne flights to their network utilising British Aerospace Jetstream 41 aircraft. In 1996, owing largely Impulse's establishment of Newcastle as a regional hub, the terminal facilities were upgraded to handle growing passenger volumes. In 2000, Impulse acquired Boeing 717s and rebranded itself as a low-cost carrier. Newcastle Airport remained an integral part of the Impulse route network until the company was bought out by Qantas the following year. 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's Boeing 717s.

Newcastle Airport briefly offered international flights to Auckland, New Zealand. These services, operated by Freedom Air, commenced in 2001 using Boeing 737s. These services were discontinued the following year and have since been announced to continue for a trial period between 22 November 2018 and 17 February 2019, to be operated by Virgin Australia.

In 1997, BAE Systems was awarded the contract for assembly and ongoing system support for the Hawk 127 Lead in Fighters for the RAAF. As part of the contract, a large facility was built adjacent to the passenger terminal at a cost of $15 million. Twenty-one of the thirty three aircraft were assembled at Williamtown, with the final deliveries taking place in October 2001. The BAE facility forms part of the Williamtown Aerospace Centre precinct.

In November 2006, a $8.25 million upgrade to the terminal facilities completed. This development doubled the available floor space in the terminal building, enhanced security screening and added a third departure gate, two baggage carousels and a retail concourse with five stores. In the same year, Jetstar Engineering invested $29 million towards improvements to the former Impulse maintenance facilities to allow heavy maintenance on A320 family aircraft to be conducted at the airport, Aeropelican Air Services moved operations to Williamtown from Belmont Airport and Newcastle Airport was named Regional Airport of the Year by the Australian airports industry. Additional car parking and enhanced set down and pick up landside access was added in 2006 at a further cost of $2.7 million.

On 24 February 2015, Newcastle Airport's a extension was opened. The new expansion opened the airport to possible international services with a dedicated area for permanent customs, immigration and quarantine facilities. This expansion was the first stage of an $80 million redevelopment, with the existing terminal undergoing a full refurbishment. Redevelopment works for the adjacent RAAF base Williamtown, including a extension of the shared runway, began in January 2015.

Facilities

Newcastle Airport is surrounded by Class C Airspace and has a control tower which is manned 7 days a week, between the hours of 0800 – 2200. At other times, pilots must co-ordinate movements using a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF). The air traffic control service is provided by RAAF personnel.

Runway 12/30 has an available landing distance of with an asphalt surface. Runway 12 is equipped with a Category 1 Instrument landing system incorporating a high intensity approach lighting array to assist aircraft approaching the airport in poor weather conditions. Both ends of the runway are equipped with arrestor wires, although during civil operations, these are not deployed. Aircraft rescue and firefighting services are provided to the airport by the Department of Defence

The terminal building is serviced by a taxi rank and shuttle bus services. Major rental car companies also operate from the arrival terminal. As part of the 2005 upgrades, an information desk was incorporated to provide arriving passengers with facilities to book accommodation, connections and receive information on local attractions. Public internet access is provided. Newcastle Airport is served by bus services operated by Hunter Valley Buses and Port Stephens Coaches.

In July 2012, developer GWH Group announced that it had lodged a development application with Port Stephens Council to construct an 12 million hotel complex on airport land adjacent to the current long term car park. The proposal is in response to the rapid growth in passengers using the airport and a lack of accommodation options in the immediate vicinity.

The second stage of the 2015 redevelopment consisted of refurbishing the existing terminal. A new newsagent and specialty gift store was built, as well as six food and beverage outlets. The existing security screening was relocated in an effort to separate the check-in hall, with the departures lounge.

Expansion

There has been a growing demand for direct flights to more destinations from Newcastle, especially international destinations since the introduction of seasonal direct flights to Auckland began in 2018.

In 2022, the Australian Government announced a $55 million upgrade to the international terminal at Newcastle Airport, which was confirmed in October. The expansion will make the terminal able of facilitating large aircraft capable of flying to Asia, the United States and the Middle East.

In July 2022, Newcastle Airport also announced its interest to begin direct flights to Singapore. Leaders from Newcastle Airport had already visited Singapore and Kuala Lumpur to discuss international expansion in May.

Airlines and destinations

Operations

Accidents and incidents

On 2 October 1994, a Rockwell Commander 690B operating for Seaview Air with flight number CD111 departed Newcastle (Williamtown) Airport for Lord Howe Island. The aircraft carried a pilot and 8 passengers. Radio contact with the aircraft was lost during the flight, and a search and rescue operation was declared. Two days later, debris was found floating on the sea near the aircraft's last known position. The Bureau of Air Safety Investigation (predecessor of Australian Transport Safety Bureau) report into the incident uncovered alarming information about how the flight was conducted. The aircraft was 220 kg over maximum takeoff weight, the pilot did not possess a current medical certificate required to operate the aircraft and the company did not have the pre-requisite licences to operate regular public transport flights between Newcastle and Lord Howe Island. The accident is considered not to have been survivable by anyone on board the aircraft. The circumstances surrounding the accident led to a commission of inquiry into the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's handling of Seaview Air's operations.

Notes

References

External links

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{{Hunter Region places and items of interest

Airports established in 1947
Airports in New South Wales
Air transport in the Hunter Region
Port Stephens Council
1947 establishments in Australia
International airports in Australia