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Norfolk Island Airport , also referred to as Norfolk Island International Airport, is the only airport on
Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together wit ...
, an external territory of Australia. The island is located in the
Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contin ...
between Australia,
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island country ...
, and
New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...
. The airport is operated by the Administration of Norfolk Island, and is on the west side of the island.


History

In August 1942, the
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
requested that the Australian government construct an aerodrome on Norfolk Island for use by its heavy bombers. It was built by the Civil Constructional Corps, comprising volunteers from New South Wales government departments. The corps was assisted by island residents, with about 300 men employed in total. The first runway was completed in late 1942, with a
Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) ( mi, Te Tauaarangi o Aotearoa, "The Warriors of the Sky of New Zealand"; previously ', "War Party of the Blue") is the aerial service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed from New Zeal ...
(RNZAF) plane landing on Christmas Day. The second runway was opened in February 1943, and the workers left the following month. The construction of the runways necessitated the destruction of Pine Avenue, a local landmark consisting of about 500 Norfolk Island pines reaching up to in height. As Norfolk Island did not have enough flat ground, in 1942 several bulldozers were used to knock the tops off several hills, and fill in the valleys between them. Steel mesh was then used to make a solid surface. The airfield was never used as an operational base, but "was available to the Allies for use as a staging depot, a refuge for aircraft in distress, and a possible base for anti-submarine patrols". An RNZAF Radar Unit operated on the island as a navigational aid, and it became a stopover for aircraft travelling between Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand and the
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...
. The RNZAF left the airfield in July 1946. At the airfield was an
air-sea rescue Air-sea rescue (ASR or A/SR, also known as sea-air rescue), and aeronautical and maritime search and rescue (AMSAR) by the ICAO and IMO, is the coordinated search and rescue (SAR) of the survivors of emergency water landings as well as people w ...
unit, a servicing section and a
radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weat ...
unit installation at
Mount Bates Mount Bates is the highest point of Norfolk Island, an external territory A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usuall ...
.


Light aircraft transit

Norfolk Island is an important transit and refueling point for light aircraft flying between Australia, New Zealand, and the
Pacific Islands Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of se ...
. Located southeast of Norfolk is Kaitaia Airport the most northerly airfield in New Zealand, north is Nouméa Airport in New Caledonia, and west is
Lord Howe Island Airport Lord Howe Island Airport is an airport providing air transportation to Lord Howe Island. Lord Howe Island is located in the Tasman Sea, east of Port Macquarie on the coast of mainland Australia. The airport is operated by the Lord Howe Island ...
which is to the Australian mainland. These distances are within the range of many light aircraft when fitted with long range tanks, while the direct distance without using Norfolk Island as a stepping stone, is usually beyond their capabilities. From New Caledonia other Pacific Islands such as
Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (french: link=no, République de Vanuatu; bi, Ripablik blong Vanuatu), is an island country located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of no ...
and
Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...
are within range and can be used as further 'stepping stones' to the other South Pacific and North Pacific destinations.


Facilities

The airport is at an
elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vertic ...
of above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised ...
. It has two
asphalt Asphalt, also known as bitumen (, ), is a sticky, black, highly viscous liquid or semi-solid form of petroleum. It may be found in natural deposits or may be a refined product, and is classed as a pitch. Before the 20th century, the term a ...
paved
runway According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and takeoff of aircraft". Runways may be a man-made surface (often asphalt, concrete, ...
s: 11/29 measuring and 04/22 measuring . The airport is staffed by a single air traffic controller. The airport has a small passenger terminal building which includes waiting areas as well as processing areas for check in (4 counters), security, emigration control, customs control (Norfolk Customs), baggage reclaim and immigration control (Norfolk Immigration Office). A small cafe (Airport Cafe) is open prior to departing flights. A small cargo terminal building is located next to passenger terminal. Airport power is provided by the onsite Norfolk Airport Diesel Power Station. A small carpark is located at the front entrance of the terminal. The airport can handle small general aviation aircraft up to a jetliner such as the
narrow-body A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast seating in a cabin less than in width. In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner usually configured with mul ...
Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first member of the fam ...
.


Rescue and fire services

Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Service of the Norfolk Island Fire Service provides firefighting service for the airport. The airport fire and rescue has two airport fire tenders. Two new
Rosenbauer The Rosenbauer Group is one of the world’s three largest manufacturers of fire-service vehicles and firefighting equipment, based in Leonding, Austria. Rosenbauer supplies the fire fighting sector in over 100 countries with a wide range of cu ...
Panther ARFF replaced two 1960s era
Thornycroft Thornycroft was an English vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977. History In 1896, naval engineer John Isaac Thornycroft formed the Thornycroft Steam Carriage and Van Company which built its first ...
Nubian Mk 1 6x6 airport tenders in 2009. A new fire station is being built to replace the current building to house the new fire engines.


Airlines and destinations


Passenger


Notes

Air New Zealand's services to Norfolk Island normally consist of two flights per week from Brisbane and three flights per week from Sydney using
Airbus A320 The Airbus A320 family is a series of narrow-body airliners developed and produced by Airbus. The A320 was launched in March 1984, first flew on 22 February 1987, and was introduced in April 1988 by Air France. The first member of the fam ...
aircraft. However, due to Air New Zealand staffing issues related to COVID-19 border closures in 2021, Qantas temporarily took over both routes from the Australian mainland to Norfolk Island from 19 March 2021. This was initially to be until 30 August 2021. But Qantas' contract to service Norfolk Island was later extended until 30 June 2022 after Air New Zealand was unable to establish a planned crew base in Brisbane that would have enabled the airline to continue serving the island despite New Zealand and Australia's borders being closed to each other. Air New Zealand previously also flew from Auckland to Norfolk Island. On 16 December 2016, Air New Zealand announced it was ceasing its flight services between Norfolk Island and Auckland citing low passenger numbers. The last flight was on 21 May 2017. Norfolk Island Airlines previously operated services for a short time with Nauru Airlines
Boeing 737-300 The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft. Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
s. Norfolk Jet Express operated from the airport from 1997 to 2005 and Norfolk Air from 2006 to 2012. In 1996,
Ansett Australia Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne, Australia. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into admini ...
was operating nonstop
Boeing 737-300 The Boeing 737 Classic is a series of narrow-body airliners produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the second generation of the Boeing 737 series of aircraft. Development began in 1979 and the first variant, the 737-300, first flew in Februa ...
jet service between the airport and Sydney four days a week.


Transportation

The airport is connected to the rest of the island by Douglas Drive. Transportation to and from the airport can be made by taxi, private car hires or local hotel shuttles.


Statistics

Norfolk Island Airport was ranked 56th in Australia for the number of
revenue passenger A passenger (also abbreviated as pax) is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The ...
s served in
financial year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ju ...
2010–2011.
Fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ju ...
1 July – 30 June
Refers to "Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations only"


See also

* List of airports in territories of Australia * Aviation transport in Australia


References


External links

* {{Oceania in topic, List of airports in Airports in territories of Australia Aviation in Norfolk Island Buildings and structures in Norfolk Island 1942 establishments in Australia Airports established in 1942 International airports in Australia