Sunshine Coast Airport
Encyclopedia
Sunshine Coast Airport (formarly Maroochydore Airport) is an Australian airport serving Sunshine Coast, Queensland
. It is the gateway to holiday destinations such as Noosa
, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba
and Caloundra. There are direct daily flights to Sydney and Melbourne, with frequent connecting flights to both domestic and international ports.
The Sunshine Coast Airport is situated at Marcoola
10 km north of Maroochydore, and is owned, operated, managed and developed by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, which assumed the powers of the former Shire of Maroochy. It is the principal airport for the Sunshine Coast and is the only airport in the region capable of servicing jet aircraft operations.
airstrip. The first test landing on a grass strip was on 16 August 1959. The airstrip was initially used by the Maroochy Aero Club and Queensland Parachute Club. Maroochy Shire Council funded the construction of a 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) sealed runway, suitable for aircraft up to the Fokker F27 Friendship, which opened on 12 August 1961. With the commencement of regular public transport services, the airstrip was renamed Maroochydore Airport. Lights for night landings were provided in 1974.
A terminal building was constructed in 1979. The runway was extended to 1797 metres (5,895.7 ft) in 1983 to allow the operation of Fokker F28 Fellowship and BAe 146 regional jets. The runway was upgraded again in 1993 to allow the operation of larger Boeing 737
and Airbus A320
jets. A new terminal building was completed in 1997 and the airport was renamed Sunshine Coast Airport.
The airport handles aircraft movements of around 70,000 per annum, has a capacity of 850,000 passenger movements per annum and a projected revenue for 2004/05 of A$8.8 million. . In 2009, the airport handled 916 845 passengers making it the 15th busiest airport in Australia.
On 3 June 2010, the airport changed its name from 'Maroochydore-Sunshine Coast Airport' to Sunshine Coast Airport and changed its ICAO
Code from YBMC to YBSU at a considerable cost to industry and airlines.
. It has one-storey and thus there are no aerobridges, and passengers must take a short walk on the tarmac to reach their aircraft.
The terminal is modern and of high-quality for a regional airport. Each of the three airlines operating have dedicated check-in desks. There are two baggage carousel
s, TV monitors, a taxi rank, shuttle bus services and hire-car desks. The departure lounge is fairly large, with seating available for about 300 people.
The main airport shuttle
service is run by SunAir. They provide a door to door shuttle transfer to Sunshine Coast hotels and private residences to all suburbs south of the Sunshine Coast Airport including Twin Waters, Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba, Kawana, Buderim, Caloundra, Golden Beach and Pelican Waters.
For shuttle transfers to Noosa and northern suburbs, Henrys Airport Shuttle offers a similar door-to-door service.
There is a car rental desk at the airport near the baggage claim area. The following car hire companies are represented: Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz & Thrifty.
Highway access and the entrance road to the Sunshine Coast Airport have both recently been upgraded in mid 2010. There are rarely traffic problems into or out of the airport. Local traffic volume is low, flight volume is low and the recent highway upgrades provide more than enough capacity.
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
The Sunshine Coast is an urban area in South East Queensland, north of the state capital of Brisbane on the Pacific Ocean coastline. Although it does not have a central business district, by population it ranks as the 10th largest metropolis in Australia and the third largest in...
. It is the gateway to holiday destinations such as Noosa
Noosa, Queensland
The Shire of Noosa was a Local Government Area located about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast region of South East Queensland, Australia...
, Maroochydore, Mooloolaba
Mooloolaba, Queensland
Mooloolaba is a suburb and tourist resort township on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It is located north of the state capital, Brisbane, and is part of the Maroochydore urban centre.- Etymology :...
and Caloundra. There are direct daily flights to Sydney and Melbourne, with frequent connecting flights to both domestic and international ports.
The Sunshine Coast Airport is situated at Marcoola
Marcoola, Queensland
Marcoola is a suburb on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. It includes the developments of Town of Seaside and Mount Coolum Shores as well as being a popular destination for tourists....
10 km north of Maroochydore, and is owned, operated, managed and developed by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council, which assumed the powers of the former Shire of Maroochy. It is the principal airport for the Sunshine Coast and is the only airport in the region capable of servicing jet aircraft operations.
History
The Queensland Government granted a parcel of land to the Maroochy Shire Council in 1958 for use as a general aviationGeneral aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
airstrip. The first test landing on a grass strip was on 16 August 1959. The airstrip was initially used by the Maroochy Aero Club and Queensland Parachute Club. Maroochy Shire Council funded the construction of a 4500 feet (1,371.6 m) sealed runway, suitable for aircraft up to the Fokker F27 Friendship, which opened on 12 August 1961. With the commencement of regular public transport services, the airstrip was renamed Maroochydore Airport. Lights for night landings were provided in 1974.
A terminal building was constructed in 1979. The runway was extended to 1797 metres (5,895.7 ft) in 1983 to allow the operation of Fokker F28 Fellowship and BAe 146 regional jets. The runway was upgraded again in 1993 to allow the operation of 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...
and Airbus A320
Airbus A320 family
The Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
jets. A new terminal building was completed in 1997 and the airport was renamed Sunshine Coast Airport.
Today
The Airport supports a number of regular public transport services (with Boeing 737–800 and Airbus A320 aircraft) and a variety of general aviation activities. These activities are in keeping with the increasing demands of tourism, passenger traffic, general aviation and commercial development opportunities and flight training (Aero Dynamic Flight Academy) .The airport handles aircraft movements of around 70,000 per annum, has a capacity of 850,000 passenger movements per annum and a projected revenue for 2004/05 of A$8.8 million. . In 2009, the airport handled 916 845 passengers making it the 15th busiest airport in Australia.
On 3 June 2010, the airport changed its name from 'Maroochydore-Sunshine Coast Airport' to Sunshine Coast Airport and changed its ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization airport code
The ICAO airport code or location indicator is a four-character alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. These codes are defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization, and published in ICAO Document 7910: Location Indicators.The ICAO codes are used by air traffic...
Code from YBMC to YBSU at a considerable cost to industry and airlines.
Terminal/facilities
The airport has one terminalAirport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
. It has one-storey and thus there are no aerobridges, and passengers must take a short walk on the tarmac to reach their aircraft.
The terminal is modern and of high-quality for a regional airport. Each of the three airlines operating have dedicated check-in desks. There are two baggage carousel
Baggage carousel
A baggage carousel is a device, generally at an airport, that delivers checked luggage to the passengers at the baggage claim area at their final destination. Not all airports use these devices...
s, TV monitors, a taxi rank, shuttle bus services and hire-car desks. The departure lounge is fairly large, with seating available for about 300 people.
Airport transport options
The airport has a range of transport options to and from the airport. The local taxi service is Suncoast Cabs and a there is normally plenty of cabs waiting outside the terminal.The main airport shuttle
Airport bus
An airport bus, or airport shuttle bus or airport shuttle is a bus or coach used to transport people to/from, or within airports. These vehicles will usually be equipped with larger luggage space, and incorporate special branding....
service is run by SunAir. They provide a door to door shuttle transfer to Sunshine Coast hotels and private residences to all suburbs south of the Sunshine Coast Airport including Twin Waters, Maroochydore, Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba, Kawana, Buderim, Caloundra, Golden Beach and Pelican Waters.
For shuttle transfers to Noosa and northern suburbs, Henrys Airport Shuttle offers a similar door-to-door service.
There is a car rental desk at the airport near the baggage claim area. The following car hire companies are represented: Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz & Thrifty.
Highway access and the entrance road to the Sunshine Coast Airport have both recently been upgraded in mid 2010. There are rarely traffic problems into or out of the airport. Local traffic volume is low, flight volume is low and the recent highway upgrades provide more than enough capacity.
Runways
The airport has two runways. One is only used for general aviation and the other runway handles both general aviation and airliners. The main runway, 18/36, which handles the jets is fairly short for a jet runway (5,916 ft long) and is also very narrow.Current airlines
Former airlines
Operations
| Rank | Airport | Passengers carried | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sydney AirportSydney Airport Sydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada... |
437,200 | 8.1 |
| 2 |  Melbourne AirportMelbourne Airport Melbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the... |
391,300 | 6.0 |