Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport (IATA: KGI, ICAO: YPKG) is an airport in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The airport is 3 nautical miles (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south of the city.[1] The airport handled 299,055 passengers in the 2021–22 financial year.[3]

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport
The airport terminal, 2018
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorCity of Kalgoorlie–Boulder
LocationKalgoorlie, Western Australia
Elevation AMSL1,203 ft / 367 m
Coordinates30°47′22″S 121°27′42″E
Websitewww.kalbould.wa.gov.au/...
Map
YPKG is located in Western Australia
YPKG
YPKG
Location in Western Australia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
11/29 2,000 6,562 Asphalt
18/36 1,200 3,937 Asphalt
Statistics (2021–22)
Passengers299,055
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1]
Passenger and aircraft movements from the BITRE[2]

The airport is a major hub for fly-in fly-out service due to the mining boom in the region.[3] It is also a hub for the Goldfields Air Services, which offers chartering and flight lessons, along with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which uses Kalgoorlie as a hub due to the lack of medical assistance for people in the region, transporting major injuries from Kalgoorlie to Perth.

History

Construction and fencing of the Kalgoorlie Aerodrome commenced in 1928,[4] and completed the following year with Royal Australian Air Force landing five Wapiti Jupiter Series aeroplanes in front of large crowds. The aeroplanes were making their way to Perth in preparation for the East-West Air Race.[5]

In 1949 a mass scrapping of Vultee Vengeance dive-bombers took place at the airport, with the engines, undercarriage legs and some cockpit fittings of 20 aircraft being removed and sent to Perth by a salvage company, while local citizens also purchased aircraft for their parts. Some years later the abandoned airframes were cut up and loaded on trucks to move to scrap yards.[6]

Ownership of the airport was transferred from the Commonwealth Government to the Shire of Boulder in 1989 with a A$4.2 million grant to construct a new terminal and additional runway space. The new airport opened in November 1992.[7]

The airport hosts a number of daily Perth to Kalgoorlie return flight services. Between November 2007 and November 2008, Skywest Airlines (now known as Virgin Australia Regional Airlines) operated a three times weekly direct service from Kalgoorlie to Melbourne, which failed due to soaring fuel prices and increasing economic uncertainty.[8] Skywest resumed their Kalgoorlie to Melbourne operation in February 2010, with a once a week service.[9]

Prior to May 2014, Qantas operated two flights between Kalgoorlie and Adelaide.[10] Qantas has also operated direct flights between Kalgoorlie and Sydney during peak periods, such as the annual Diggers & Dealers conference.[11] In 2020, Virgin Australia suspended their direct flights between Kalgoorlie and Melbourne due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Alliance Airlines Perth
Qantas Perth
QantasLink Perth
Virgin Australia Perth
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines Perth

Operations
Busiest domestic routes into and out of Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport
(FY 2016)[13]
RankAirportPassengers carried % change
1 Western Australia, Perth Airport237,076Increase11.7
2 Victoria, Melbourne AirportNo dataIncreaseno data

See also

References
  1. YPKG – Kalgoorlie-Boulder (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 2023-09-07, Aeronautical Chart
  2. "Airport Traffic Data 1985-86 to 2010-11". Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). May 2012. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012. Refers to "Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations only"
  3. Lucas, Jarrod (27 February 2023). "Increases in FIFO activity behind record number of passenger movements at Kalgoorlie-Boulder Airport". abc.net.au. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  4. "Advertising". Kalgoorlie Miner. Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. 19 September 1928. p. 2. Retrieved 22 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "Air Force Planes". Kalgoorlie Miner. Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. 2 October 1929. p. 1. Retrieved 22 November 2015 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. Goodall, Geoff. "THE KALGOORLIE VULTEE VENGEANCES". www.goodall.com.au. Retrieved 7 May 2023.
  7. "Background". City of Kalgoorlie–Boulder. 2015. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  8. "SkyWest suspends Kalgoorlie-Melbourne route". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 31 July 2008. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  9. "SKYWEST TO RESUME KALGOORLIE-MELBOURNE". australianaviation.com.au. 15 January 2010. Retrieved 10 June 2019.
  10. "Qantas axes two Adelaide-Kalgoorlie flights". abc.net.au. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  11. "Extra flights for Mining forum". Kalgoorlie Miner. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  12. "Proposed air link between Kalgoorlie and Esperance a potential 'game changer'". abc.net.au. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  13. "Australian Domestic Airline Activity 2010-11". Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). May 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016. Refers to "Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations only"
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