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Canberra Airport

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The Canberra International Airport (IATA: CBR, ICAO: YSCB) is the airport serving Australia's national capital, Canberra. It is divided into three sections: the passenger terminal and general aviation facility on one side of the main runway, the ex-air force base on the other, which houses the government's VIP transport squadron and is used by visiting heads of state and military aircraft in transit, and a retail and mixed use section on Majura Road. Although there are no current international flight services, a service to Fiji operated briefly in 2004.

Today, the Airport is a hub for flights to south eastern Australia. In addition to regular traffic, the airport handles diverted traffic from Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airports when weather conditions restrict landings there.

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 8-10 minutes drive from the city centre, 10 minutes from Gungahlin and 5 minutes from Queanbeyan at non-peak times; travel times can be much longer at peak times due to traffic congestion. Canberra airport is not serviced by public transport[1] but there is a shuttle bus service into Civic.[2]

Approach and departure corridors lie over largely unpopulated areas, although flights frequently pass low over the New South Wales suburb of Jerrabomberra and the city of Queanbeyan. Proposals have been made to the NSW Planning Minister to approve housing estates that are under the southern flight paths in New South Wales. The proposed housing estates vary in proximity to the airport.

Canberra Airport from the east

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 Royal Australian Air Force (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 name Fairbairn.

The lease to the site was sold to Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd[3] 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.

Passenger terminal at night

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 as well as a number of office buildings which have been built at Brindabella Business Park[4]. An outlet centre has been established along Majura Road, which is operated by Brand Depot.[5]

In March 2004, the ACT Government denoted Canberra Airport as a Major Activity Node, and outlined the Airport and surrounding lands as a priority 1 employment area.[6]

Several new hangars and buildings have been erected in both Fairbairn and near the terminal. As part of the biggest runway upgrade in Australia since the construction of Sydney's third runway[7], a 600m runway extension was completed in 2006, as well as upgrades to runway systems.

The expansion of Canberra Airport has led to a dispute between the ACT Government and the Commonwealth Government and the Airport's owners. As the airport sits on Commonwealth-controlled land, the ACT Government does not have authority to approve or disapprove construction at the airport. The ACT Government blames the Commonwealth for the increased traffic congestion around the airport which it claims has occured due to the construction of office buildings on airport land.[8] Canberra Airport's owners deny that the airport is solely to blame for this traffic congestion, however, and argue that they should not be forced to fund an upgrade to the roads around the airport.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11][12] 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.[13] The ACT Government has subsequently funded the Stage 1 works and is seeking funding from the Commonwealth for further roadworks.[14]

Recent accidents and incidents

On 13 March 1993 a MiG 15UTI took off from Canberra Airport. Shortly after takeoff the pilot reported engine difficulty and was cleared to land on Runway 35. Some 4km from the runway it was seen to dive sharply into the ground. Both pilot and passenger were killed. The accident was determined to be caused by an in-flight fire - undetectable by the pilot.[15].

On 28 January 2001 a Beech Musketeer took off from Runway 30 in a shallow climb (below normally expected). It reached 300ft below rolling sharply and hitting the ground. The resulting fireball killed the pilot and three passengers.[16].

On 5 November 2002 a Boeing 737-476 landed in a slightly right wing low attitude on Runway 35 after pilot report of turbulence. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau investigated the incident.[17] It was found that a hangar close by to the runway may cause unexpected turbulence during a particular wind event, strong westerly winds.

On 7 May 2003 one of the largest hangars in the Southern Hemisphere collapsed whilst under construction.[18][19] The hangar, located on the RAAF Fairbairn Airbase, was to house the Australian Prime Minister's VIP jet. The collapse injured 12 workers and ultimately three companies and five individuals were convicted for lax safety standards on the work site.

Airlines and destinations

  • Air South Charter (Adelaide, Parafield Airport, Whyalla, Port Augusta, Coober Pedy, Woomera, Kingscote, Mount Gambier, Melbourne, Ballarat, Albury, Horsham, Mallacoota, Sydney, Broken Hill, Cobar, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Rockhampton, Forrest) [Per Request]
  • Qantas (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney)
  • Virgin Blue (Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne)
  • Brindabella Airlines (Albury, Newcastle)

Previous services

References

  1. ^ "No plans for Canberra Airport public bus". ABC News. 2005-04-25. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  2. ^ "Airliner website". Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  3. ^ Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd
  4. ^ Brindabella Business Park
  5. ^ Brand Depot
  6. ^ Canberra Spatial Plan, March 2004.
  7. ^ The Hub Newsletter, October 2006.
  8. ^ "Stanhope blames Commonwealth for airport congestion". ABC News. 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. ^ "Canberra airport says not entirely to blame for congestion". ABC News. 2006-06-29. Retrieved 2007-08-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  10. ^ "Airport Roads Roundtable". Jon Stanhope Media Release. Retrieved 2007-08-19. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  11. ^ "Canberra Airport Roads Working Group Interim Report". ACT Government. 2006-06. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  12. ^ "Media Release: $15 Million to Boost Road Access to Aiport" (PDF). ACT Government. 2006-10. Retrieved 2007-06-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  13. ^ "Canberra Airport Roads Working Group Report". ACT Government. 2006-10. Retrieved 2007-08-19. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  14. ^ "Media Release: $15 Million to Boost Road Access to Aiport" (PDF). ACT Government. 2006-10. Retrieved 2007-06-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  15. ^ 1993 Accident Investigation Report No. 484.
  16. ^ 2001 Accident Investigation Report No. 346.
  17. ^ "Aviation Safety Investigation Report 200205179 – Boeing Co 737-476, VH-TJG, Final". Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Department of Transport and Regional Services, Government of Australia. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  18. ^ Airport Hangar Collapse.
  19. ^ Emergency Management Australia report on hangar collapse.
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