Kingscote Airport

Kingscote Airport
Kingscote Airport
Terminal at Kingscote Airport
IATA: KGC ICAO: YKSC
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Kangaroo Island Council
Serves	Kangaroo Island
Location	Cygnet River
Elevation AMSL	24 ft / 7 m
Coordinates	35°42′50″S 137°31′18″E / 35.71389°S 137.52167°E / -35.71389; 137.52167Coordinates: 35°42′50″S 137°31′18″E / 35.71389°S 137.52167°E / -35.71389; 137.52167
Map
YKSC Location in South Australia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 01/19 1,402 4,600 Asphalt 06/24 1,134 3,720 Gravel 15/33 1,164 3,819 Gravel
Statistics (2010/11)
Passengers 51,021 Aircraft movements 2,398
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart

Kingscote Airport (IATA: KGC, ICAO: YKSC) is located 6.5 nautical miles (12.0 km; 7.5 mi) southwest of Kingscote, South Australia, the main town on Kangaroo Island. The airport is the sole airport for Kangaroo Island. The airport is served by regular public transport and many charter flights. The airport is managed by the Kangaroo Island Council, which has operated the airport since 16 June 1983.

Guinea Airways operated the first commercial service to Kangaroo Island, commencing in the 1930s. In 1959, the airline was acquired by Airlines of South Australia (ASA), a subsidiary of Ansett Airlines. The airline's final service was on 4 April 1986. ASA primarily operated Convairs, Douglas DC-3 and Fokker F-27 aircraft. A Piaggio P166 was used infrequently in the 1970s, whilst Rossair operated Cessna 402s in an arrangement with ASA to replace the F27s in off-peak times.

Following the withdrawal of ASA, Kendell Airlines (another Ansett subsidiary), operated 19-seat Fairchild Metroliners and 34 seat SAAB aircraft to the Island. Upon Ansett's ultimate demise in 2002, Regional Express (Rex) acquired the Kendell aircraft and continued services which are maintained today.

In competition with the larger aircraft, and generally with more flexible timetables, a succession of smaller airlines from the 1980s tried with varying success to maintain a 'second string' presence. The most successful, Emu Airways, commenced in 1980 and made its final flight in November 2005. Emu flew Piper Chieftain aircraft to Kingscote, American River, Penneshaw and Parndana, before air regulations dictated abandonment of all airstrips except Kingscote. Air Kangaroo Island (formerly Air Transit), flew Cessna 402s to the island during the 1990s. Keith Stevens operated Albatross Airlines for much of the 1980s and early 1990s.