Bankstown Airport

Bankstown Airport
Sydney/Bankstown Airport

Aerial view of the airport looking east-southeast
IATA: BWU – ICAO: YSBK
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Bankstown Airport Ltd.
Serves Sydney, Australia
Location Bankstown
Hub for Toll Aviation
Elevation AMSL 34 ft / 10 m
Coordinates 33°55′30″S 150°59′18″E / 33.92500°S 150.98833°E / -33.92500; 150.98833Coordinates: 33°55′30″S 150°59′18″E / 33.92500°S 150.98833°E / -33.92500; 150.98833
Website www.bankstownairport.com.au
Map
YSBK

Location in Sydney

Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
11C/29C 1,416 4,646 Asphalt
11R/29L 1,038 3,406 Asphalt
11L/29R 1,100 3,609 Asphalt
Statistics (2011)
Aircraft movements 243,126
Sources: AIP and Movements at Australian Airports from Airservices Australia[1][2]

Bankstown Airport (IATA: BWU, ICAO: YSBK) is an airport and business park located in the Canterbury-Bankstown Council Local Government Area, 22 km (14 mi) from the central business district of Sydney, Australia. It is the second biggest airport serving Sydney. The airport is situated on 313 ha (770 acres) of land and has three parallel runways, several apron areas, a small passenger terminal and a business park, home to over 180 businesses. It primarily serves general, recreational and charter flights.

Bankstown Airport operates 24 hours a day, with limitations placed on night circuit training. In the calendar year of 2011, Airservices Australia recorded 243,126 aircraft movements at the airport. This makes it the fourth busiest airport in Australia by number of movements, after Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport, Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne and Jandakot.[2] Bankstown Airport is also the second busiest airport in Sydney. Most of the traffic reported (208,226) is in the sub 7 tonnes light aircraft category. The airport is a major hub of Australian general aviation, is home to numerous fixed-wing and helicopter flying schools, charter operators, aircraft maintenance businesses, and private aircraft.

Bankstown Airport is owned by the Federal Government and leased by Bankstown Airport Limited, a subsidiary of BAC Airports Pty Limited, whose ultimate shareholders include JF Infrastructure, Colonial First State and Australian Super. BAC Airports also owns Camden Airport, another of the two general aviation airports in the Sydney basin. Bankstown Airport's business precincts are home to a large number of non-aviation businesses in addition to the many aviation related ones.

History

World War II

Bankstown Airport was originally planned in 1929. The plan to build an airport at Bankstown was put on hold until it was established in 1940, after the commencement of World War II when the Department of Civil Aviation attained 630 acres (2.5 km2) of land for development as a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) facility. The formal proclamation of the Bankstown airfield project occurred under the National Security Act on 7 June 1940. The urgency was such that work began immediately; the Act permitted construction to begin even before the land had been officially resumed by the government.[3] On 2 December 1940 RAAF Headquarters was established at Bankstown and on 19 December No 2 Aircraft Park moved to Bankstown where it remained until 28 March 1945. Its facilities were then taken over by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.[4]

When General MacArthur arrived in Australia, during World War II, Bankstown Airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces, and was established as a key strategic air base to support the war effort in 1942. It became home to members of the 35th Pursuit Group and the 49th Pursuit Group from 1942 to 1944. In 1945 operations became the responsibility of the British Fleet Air Arm, known as Royal Naval Air Station Bankstown, HMS Nabberley, before being handed back to the RAAF on 31 July 1946.[5]

During the war, several "dummy houses" were built to make Bankstown Airport and its surrounds appear as a farm, hangars were disguised as houses with fake roads to further confuse the enemy. There was a command post on Black Charlies Hill, also known as the Bankstown Bunker, or No. 1 Fighter Sector RAAF. The airport had gun pits located within and around its perimeter to protect it from air attack. Part of its defences included an anti-aircraft battery situated on the corner of Bexley Road and Homer Street, Kingsgrove to help protect the approaches to the airport. After the war it was considered as an international airport terminal but certain limitations made it unsuitable for this purpose.

Aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Australia (later Hawker de Havilland) commenced production of their first fully manufactured aircraft at Bankstown Airport during WWII, which were DH-82 Tiger Moth primary trainers.[6]

Units based at Bankstown during World War II

Post War

In 1970 the government put forth a proposal to expand the airport's operations but this was vigorously opposed by the local community.[8]

Today, Bankstown Airport is Sydney's primary general aviation airport, and also serves charter and cargo flights for various companies and carriers.[9]

The airport's master plan was approved in March 2005 by the Minister for Transport and Regional Services. The plan governs the airport's operations until 2024–25. The current approved Airport Environment Strategy is valid for five years until 2015, it outlines management plans for specific ground-based environmental issues.

Facilities

Bankstown Airport's passenger terminal with a Piper Chieftain on the right, October 2016
Toll Aviation ATR 42 cargo aircraft at Bankstown Airport, November 2016
Hangar of the UNSW Faculty of Science School of Aviation with some of the school's training aircraft, October 2016

The airport, the Anglican school Georges River Grammar and the neighbouring Georges River Golf Course together form a suburb which is usually referred to as Bankstown Airport, although the official name is Bankstown Aerodrome. The suburb is part of the Canterbury-Bankstown Local Government Area and shares the postcode 2200 with its eastern neighbour, Condell Park.

The airport has three parallel runways. The primary runway (11C/29C) is 1,416 m × 30 m (4,646 ft × 98 ft). Bankstown has its own dedicated air traffic control tower, operated by Airservices Australia, and uses Class D airspace procedures.

Passenger facilities

The existing small passenger terminal at the airport is capable of handling up to 200 passengers per hour. Vehicle parking is available at no charge. Arriving passengers can arrange for taxi pick up at the terminal. The main airport entrance is also serviced by a local bus service to Bankstown railway station.[10]

The terminal plays host to numerous events year round such as the annual Sydney Aviation Model Show.[11]

Airlines and destinations

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Toll Aviation[12]Brisbane, Melbourne-Tullamarine

Other

Airly, a membership-based private travel provider, intends to commence operations in 2017.[13] It is to offer flights to Canberra Airport and Melbourne's Essendon Airport for paying members,[14] operating Beechcraft King Air 350s and a Bombardier Learjet 45 under another company's air operator's certificate.[15][16] Airly plans to initially provide 54 flights per week.[15]

Other operators

The following organisations have operating bases at Bankstown Airport:

The Australian Aviation Museum was located at Bankstown Airport when the museum opened in February, 1994. However, it closed at Bankstown in 2016 and will reopen at the less busy Camden airport in early 2017.[20]

RAAF CT4 trainers lined up on the tarmac at Bankstown awaiting the Pickles auction start. 36 of these aircraft went under the hammer in Sydney in 1993 following the closure of the No 1 Flying Training School at Point Cook in Victoria.

In popular culture

One of its hangars was used for the filming of Top Gear Australia, however none of the track sections were filmed at Bankstown as it is too busy. They were predominantly filmed at Camden Airport which is far quieter. The apron area was used as a location for the short film Come Fly with Me in 2009.[21]

The Series 1 Finale of the television series Hyde and Seek was filmed inside a hangar at the airport.

See also

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

  1. ↑ YSBK – SYDNEY/Bankstown (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 10 November 2016
  2. 1 2 "Movements at Australian Airports" (PDF). Airservices Australia. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  3. ↑ Mellor D P, Australia in the War of 1939-1945, Series 4 - Civil - Volume V - The Role of Science and Industry, Australian War Museum, Canberra, 1958, page 37ff
  4. ↑ White, K, Brief History of RAAF Station,Bankstown NSW, Australian Aviation Museum, Bankstown, 2001, page 3
  5. ↑ "History of Bankstown airport". www.lockoweb.com. Retrieved 2016-11-08.
  6. ↑ "Hawker de Havilland - History - Birth of an Industry". 2007-02-03. Retrieved 2016-11-05.
  7. ↑ 7th Fighter Squadron
  8. ↑ Maltby, Kathy; Rosen, Sue. From Settlement to City. Bankstown City Council. p. 13.
  9. ↑ "Our Vision for Australia's Premier General Aviation Airport". www.bankstownairport.com.au. Bankstown Airport Limited. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  10. ↑ "Bankstown Airport Guide Airlines Accommodation Car Minivan Limousine Rental Guide To Australia Airports Bankstown NSW". www.airportguide.com.au. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  11. ↑ Sydney Aviation Model Show
  12. ↑ "Toll Priority Branch Locations". tollgroup.com. Toll Group. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  13. ↑ "Airly to introduce unique door-to-door value | Airly". Airly. 2016-10-24. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  14. ↑ "Where we fly". Airly. Fly Airly. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  15. 1 2 Freed, Jamie (11 January 2016). "Aviation start-up Airly aims to disrupt how you fly from Sydney to Melbourne". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  16. ↑ Freed, Jamie (25 May 2016). "Airly will introduce a Learjet for faster flights". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  17. ↑ "Bankstown Helicopter Base" (PDF). NSW Ambulance. NSW Government. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  18. ↑ Anonymous (2013-10-24). "Aviation Support Branch (Air Wing)". www.service.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
  19. ↑ "RFDS in your state – NSW&ACT | Royal Flying Doctor Service". www.flyingdoctor.org.au. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  20. ↑ "Home, AustralianAviationMuseum.com.au is dedicated to the preservation of Australia's rich aviation heritage. Bankstown Airport, Sydney. - AustralianAviationMuseum.com.au". australianaviationmuseum.com.au. Retrieved 2016-10-29.
  21. ↑ "Cosmopolitan Autumn Fashion Shoot 2014". Navair. Retrieved 30 May 2014.

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