Bundaberg Airport
Bundaberg Airport Bundaberg Regional Airport | |||||||||||||||
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 Bundaberg Airport during an air show in 2005 | |||||||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Bundaberg Regional Council | ||||||||||||||
| Serves | Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||
| Opened | 12 December 1931 | ||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 107 ft (33 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 24°54′14″S 152°19′07″E / 24.90389°S 152.31861°E | ||||||||||||||
| Website | bundaberg | ||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||
  YBUD Location in Queensland | |||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024-25[1]) | |||||||||||||||
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| Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[2] Passengers and movements from BITRE[1] | |||||||||||||||
Bundaberg Airport (IATA: BDB[3], ICAO: YBUD) is a regional airport serving Bundaberg, a city in the Australian state of Queensland.[2] It is located 2.5 nautical miles (4.6 km; 2.9 mi) southwest[2] of the city centre, on North Childers Road and Takalvan Street.[4] The airport is owned and operated by the Bundaberg Regional Council.[2][5] It is also known as Bundaberg Regional Airport.[5]
The Royal Flying Doctor Service has one of its nine Queensland bases at Bundaberg Airport.[6]
The Bundaberg Regional Council conducted major works on the runway, terminal, carpark and navigation aids in 2009–10 in an attempt to attract services using larger jet airliners.
History
[edit]Bundaberg Airport was officially opened on 12 December 1931, by the Minister for Trade and Customs, Frank Forde, as a civilian aerodrome. The aerodrome was renamed in 1936 to Hinkler Airport after Bundaberg's famous pioneering aviator Bert Hinkler.[7][8][9]
World War II
[edit]With the outbreak of World War II, it was decided as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan to requisition Bundaberg Airport and develop it as a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Flying Training School.[citation needed]
Known as RAAF Station Bundaberg it was initially used in 1941 by No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF (12 EFTS), until that unit relocated to Lowood Aerodrome (located at Tarampa) on 12 January 1942. No. 8 Service Flying Training School RAAF then operated from the base.[citation needed]
Units based at Bundaberg
[edit] |
- No. 32 Squadron RAAF ('B' Flight) – 1 May 1943 – 4 September 1944
- No. 66 Squadron RAAF – 20 May 1943 – 6 January 1944
- No. 71 Squadron RAAF ('B' Flight) – 1 May 1942 – 26 January 1943
- No. 8 Service Flying Training School RAAF – 14 December 1941 – 25 July 1945
- No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF – 16 October 1941 – 12 January 1942
- No. 88 Operational Base Unit RAAF – 14 June 1945 – 26 April 1946
- Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force Personnel and equipment pool – 25 June 1945 – 26 April 1946.
Bundaberg War Graves
[edit]Located within the Bundaberg General Cemetery, it contains the burial places of 46 soldiers and airmen of the Australian Forces and five airmen of the United States Army Air Forces.[10]
Post war
[edit]The Department of Civil Aviation took over Bundaberg Aerodrome on 31 July 1946. Bundaberg Regional Council took over the airport in June 1983.[11] A new terminal was opened on 9 May 1986. A major extension to Bundaberg Airport was completed in March 2010, making the runway capable of handling jet aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, and also including an expansion of the terminal.[12][13][14]
Facilities
[edit]The airport resides at an elevation of 107 ft (33 m) above sea level. It has two runways: 14/32 with an asphalt surface measuring 2,000 m × 30 m (6,562 ft × 98 ft) and 07/25 with a grassed grey silt clay surface measuring 1,128 m × 30 m (3,701 ft × 98 ft).[2]
Airlines and destinations
[edit]| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Link Airways | Brisbane[15] |
| QantasLink | Brisbane[16] |
Link Airways operates services between Bundaberg and Brisbane;[17] QantasLink also has flights from the airport.[18]
In October 1966, Trans Australian Airlines was granted permission to use the airport despite protestations from Ansett Transport Industries, parent of Bundaberg Airport’s hitherto main operator Queensland Airlines.[19]
In July 2017, Alliance Airlines commenced operating services in co-operation with Virgin Australia from Brisbane after the latter ceased ATR 72 operations in Queensland.[20][21] Alliance Airlines withdrew from Bundaberg in September 2020.[22][23]
In May 2023, Bonza commenced operating a twice-weekly service from Melbourne.[24][25] The service ceased in April 2024 after Bonza was placed in voluntary administration.[26]
Statistics
[edit]Bundaberg Airport was ranked 40th in Australia for the number of revenue passengers served in financial year 2024–2025.[1]
| Year[1] | Revenue passengers | Aircraft movements |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | ||
| 2016–17 | ||
| 2017–18 | ||
| 2018–19 | ||
| 2019–20 | ||
| 2020–21 | ||
| 2021–22 | ||
| 2022–23 | ||
| 2023–24 | ||
| 2024–25 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 "Airport Traffic Data 1985 to 2025 (financial years)". Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics. Retrieved 18 July 2026. Refers to "Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations only"
- 1 2 3 4 5 YBUD – Bundaberg (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 9 July 2026, Aeronautical Chart Archived 11 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Bundaberg Airport (BDB / YBUD)". Aviation Safety Network. Archived from the original on 4 November 2012. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ↑ "Airport Guide: Bundaberg Airport". Qantas. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- 1 2 "Bundaberg Regional Airport". Bundaberg Regional Council. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ↑ "RFDS QLD Home Page". Royal Flying Doctor Service. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
- ↑ "QUEEN VISITS TWO CITIES". Sydney Morning Herald. No. 36, 262. 12 March 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 8 June 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "HINKLER AIRPORT". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. I, no. 188. New South Wales, Australia. 27 October 1936. p. 1. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 8 June 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Aerodrome Named After Hinkler". The Advocate. Tasmania, Australia. 27 October 1936. p. 7. Retrieved 8 June 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "War Cemeteries in Queensland: Bundaberg War Cemetery". Office of Australian War Graves. Archived from the original on 5 March 2009.
- ↑ Bundaberg Airport Master Plan 2016-2026 Bundaberg Regional Council May 2016
- ↑ Airport Upgrade Bundaberg Regional Council
- ↑ Airport upgrade sparks interest from Virgin ABC News 6 January 2010
- ↑ High hops with airport upgrade The Courier-Mail 3 February 2010
- ↑ Link Airways route map, shown at "Airport Information". page of the Link Airways website. Retrieved 3 July 2026
- ↑ "QantasLink destinations". Qantas. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Link Airways route map, shown at "Airport Information". page of the Link Airways website. Retrieved 3 July 2026
- ↑ "Discover our airport". Bundaberg Regional Airport. Bundaberg Regional Council. Retrieved 3 July 2026.
- ↑ Equal rights for TAA at two towns Canberra Times 22 October 1966 page 3
- ↑ Virgin to end turboprop operations in Queensland as ATR fleet reduced Australian Aviation 28 April 2017
- ↑ Submission Re: Virgin Australia / Alliance Airlines Bundaberg Regional Council 19 November 2020
- ↑ Air competition in Australia Australian Competition & Consumer Commission September 2020 page 13
- ↑ Virgin Australia, Alliance Airlines drop Bundaberg flights Executive Traveller 16 September 2020
- ↑ Bonza's first passenger arrive from Melbourne Bundaberg Regional Council 10 May 2023
- ↑ Bundaberg having Bonza time Bundaberg Regional Council 19 July 2023
- ↑ Bonza budget airline in administration as flights across the country cancelled ABC News 30 April 2024
External links
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