Emerald Airport
Encyclopedia
Emerald Airport is an airport
serving Emerald
, a town located in the Central Highlands district of Queensland
, Australia
. It is located 6 kilometres (4 mi) south of the Emerald town centre, on Springsure Road. The airport is operated by the Central Highlands Regional Council
.
Emerald Airport is currently serviced by QantasLink Dash 8 Q400's flying an average of five flights on weekdays, and three on weekends.
of 624 feet (190 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
s: 06/24 with an asphalt
surface measuring 1900 by 30 m (6,233.6 by 98.4 ) and 15/33 with a gravel
surface measuring 926 by 18 m (3,038.1 by 59.1 ).
Emerald Airport recently spent $7.7 million extending the terminal and refurbishing the old terminal. This was complete in the last quarter of 2010.
During this refurbishment, a new flight information system was created which is now displayed throughout the airport and online.
to service the route to/from Brisbane as neither the airport nor the town is big enough to handle the larger Boeing 737
aircraft commonly used by the airline. As of January 2010, no formal announcement had been made regarding the date of commencement of these services. However, in January 2010, the airline stated that it was looking to commence services to either Emerald, Gladstone
or Bundaberg
. Commencement of services to any of these three airports would break the monopoly that QantasLink currently holds on services. Of the three potential destinations, Emerald has the smallest population and Civil Aviation Safety Authority
approval would also be required for services, as the runway is not wide enough to handle the Embraer 170 or Embraer 190.
On 4 October 2011, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines announced that, from 16 January 2012, double-daily 68-seat ATR-72 services would be operating on weekdays between Emerald and Brisbane to "bring choice and competitive fares for travel to and from this important mining hub". Passengers will receive a refreshment onboard this service, and it is expected that a Virgin Australia "Lounge" facility may open within the terminal, in order to further compete with the recently-opened Qantas Regional Lounge within the terminal.
s served in financial year 2009-2010.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
serving Emerald
Emerald, Queensland
Emerald is a town located in the Central Highlands district of Central Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Emerald had a population of 10,999. The town is the business centre for the Central Highlands Regional Council....
, a town located in the Central Highlands district of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located 6 kilometres (4 mi) south of the Emerald town centre, on Springsure Road. The airport is operated by the Central Highlands Regional Council
Central Highlands Regional Council
Central Highlands Regional Council is a Local Government Area in Queensland, Australia. The Local Government Area was created in March 2008 as a result of the report of the Local Government Reform Commission released in July 2007...
.
Emerald Airport is currently serviced by QantasLink Dash 8 Q400's flying an average of five flights on weekdays, and three on weekends.
Facilities
The airport resides at an elevationElevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 624 feet (190 m) above mean sea level. It has two runway
Runway
According to ICAO a runway is a "defined rectangular area on a land aerodrome prepared for the landing and take-off of aircraft." Runways may be a man-made surface or a natural surface .- Orientation and dimensions :Runways are named by a number between 01 and 36, which is generally one tenth...
s: 06/24 with an asphalt
Asphalt
Asphalt or , also known as bitumen, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits, it is a substance classed as a pitch...
surface measuring 1900 by 30 m (6,233.6 by 98.4 ) and 15/33 with a gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
surface measuring 926 by 18 m (3,038.1 by 59.1 ).
Emerald Airport recently spent $7.7 million extending the terminal and refurbishing the old terminal. This was complete in the last quarter of 2010.
During this refurbishment, a new flight information system was created which is now displayed throughout the airport and online.
Airlines and destinations
Virgin Australia
Emerald Airport was one of more than 21 regional Australian airports assessed by Virgin Australia for its viability. If it were to service the airport it would be using Embraer E-JetsEmbraer E-Jets
The Embraer E-Jets are a series of narrow-body, twin-engine, medium-range, jet airliners produced by Embraer, a Brazilian aerospace conglomerate that produces commercial, military, and corporate aircraft. Announced at the Paris Air Show in 1999, and entering production in 2002, the aircraft series...
to service the route to/from Brisbane as neither the airport nor the town is big enough to handle the larger Boeing 737
Boeing 737
The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
aircraft commonly used by the airline. As of January 2010, no formal announcement had been made regarding the date of commencement of these services. However, in January 2010, the airline stated that it was looking to commence services to either Emerald, Gladstone
Gladstone Airport
Gladstone Aerodrome, , is located south of Gladstone, Manitoba, Canada....
or Bundaberg
Bundaberg Airport
Bundaberg Airport is a regional airport serving Bundaberg, a city in the Australian state of Queensland. It is located from the town centre, on North Childers Road and Takalvan Street. The airport is owned and operated by the Bundaberg Regional Council...
. Commencement of services to any of these three airports would break the monopoly that QantasLink currently holds on services. Of the three potential destinations, Emerald has the smallest population and Civil Aviation Safety Authority
Civil Aviation Safety Authority
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority is the Australian national aviation authority , the government statutory authority responsible for the regulation of civil aviation.-History:...
approval would also be required for services, as the runway is not wide enough to handle the Embraer 170 or Embraer 190.
On 4 October 2011, Virgin Australia and Skywest Airlines announced that, from 16 January 2012, double-daily 68-seat ATR-72 services would be operating on weekdays between Emerald and Brisbane to "bring choice and competitive fares for travel to and from this important mining hub". Passengers will receive a refreshment onboard this service, and it is expected that a Virgin Australia "Lounge" facility may open within the terminal, in order to further compete with the recently-opened Qantas Regional Lounge within the terminal.
Statistics
Emerald Airport was ranked 40th in Australia for the number of revenue passengerRevenue passenger
A revenue passenger is someone who has paid the transport operator for her or his trip. That excludes non-paying passengers such as airline employees flying on free or nearly-free passes, babies and children who do not have a seat of their own, etc...
s served in financial year 2009-2010.