Bankstown Airport Sydney/Bankstown Airport |
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Aerial view of the airport looking east-southeast
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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°ECoordinates: 33°55′30″S 150°59′18″E / 33.92500°S 150.98833°E | ||||||||||||||||||
Website | www.bankstownairport.com.au | ||||||||||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||||||||||
Location in Sydney | |||||||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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Statistics (2011) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Sources: AIP and Movements at Australian Airports from Airservices Australia
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Aircraft movements | 243,126 |
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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. 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.
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. 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.