Canberra International Airport facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Canberra International Airport / Canberra Airport
Land side of the new terminal building
IATA: CBR ICAO: YSCB
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Capital Airport Group Pty Ltd
Serves	Canberra
Elevation AMSL	1,888 ft / 575 m
Coordinates	35°18′25″S 149°11′42″E / 35.30694°S 149.19500°E / -35.30694; 149.19500
Website	www.canberraairport.com.au
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 17/35 3,273 10,738 Asphalt 12/30 1,679 5,509 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Passengers 3,258,396
Source: List of the busiest airports in Australia

Canberra International Airport (IATA: CBR, ICAO: YSCB), often called Canberra Airport, is a major airport in Australia. It serves Canberra, the country's capital city. It also serves the nearby city of Queanbeyan, NSW. This airport is located in North Canberra.

Canberra Airport is one of the busiest airports in Australia. It is managed by the Capital Airport Group Pty Ltd. The airport has two main runways. These are known as 17/35 and 12/30. Most flights from Canberra Airport go to places in eastern Australia. In 2009, over three million passengers used the airport. The main terminal building has been rebuilt since 2009. Parts of the new terminal were finished in 2010.

Where is Canberra Airport?

The airport is very close to Canberra's city centre. It takes about 8 to 10 minutes to drive there. It is also about 15 minutes from the suburb of Gungahlin. The city of Queanbeyan is only 10 minutes away. Sometimes, during busy times, travel can take longer.

The land around the airport is split into five main areas:

• The passenger terminal and other aviation buildings are on the west side. This is where you catch flights.
• The Brindabella Business Park is right next to the passenger terminal.
• The old RAAF base, now called Fairbairn, is on the east side.
• Fairbairn is home to the RAAF's No. 34 Squadron RAAF. This squadron flies important people, like heads of state, around. Military planes also use this area.
• Another business park, also called Fairbairn, is being built on the rest of the old RAAF base.
• There are shops and other businesses on Majura Road. This area is called Majura Park.

Airport History

The airport was first built in the 1920s. This was soon after Canberra was chosen as the capital city. In 1939, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took control of the airport. However, they still allowed areas for regular civilian flights.

In 1940, a plane crash happened near the airport. Several important people, including government ministers, were on board. One of them was James Fairbairn, who was the Minister for Air. The Fairbairn Airbase was later named after him. In 1962, the military part of the airport became RAAF Base Fairbairn. Today, a part of the airport is still known as the Fairbairn Business Park.

The hangars and air traffic control tower at Defence Establishment Fairbairn, seen from the main runway.

A Tiger Airways Australia jet at Canberra Airport.

In 1998, a company called Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd took over the airport. They also leased the RAAF area to the Department of Defence. The RAAF base officially closed in 2003. However, No. 34 Squadron RAAF still uses the base. The RAAF area was renamed Defence Establishment Fairbairn.

Work to update the airport began in 1998. This included plans for new terminal buildings. A large extension to the airport's runway was finished in 2006. This also included improvements to the runway systems.

Airlines and Destinations

Many airlines fly to and from Canberra Airport. Here are some of them and where they fly:

• Brindabella Airlines: Flies to Albury, Newcastle, and Tamworth.
• Qantas: Flies to Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
• QantasLink: Flies to Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
• Virgin Australia: Flies to Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Hobart, Melbourne, Sydney, and Townsville.

Images for kids

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  A Royal Australian Air Force Airbus KC-30 landing at Canberra Airport in January 2020

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  A Qatar Airways Airbus A350 taxiing at Canberra Airport in January 2020

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  Repatriation flight operated by a Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 landing at Canberra Airport in November 2020

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  Qantas VH-OEJ "Wunala" at Canberra on its final commercial flight on 17 July 2020

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  Atrium

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  Security Screening

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  Southern Concorse

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  Qantas Domestic Business Lounge

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  The now demolished old Canberra Airport terminal.

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  The ACTION bus stop at Canberra Airport

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional de Canberra para niños