Emerald Airport Redevelopment Update - Apron Works Complete - But With The Loss of a Good Plane Spotting Location

As we've reported previously, Emerald Airport has recently undergone further redevelopment to expand the aircraft parking aprons to include four additional aircraft parking bays.  This is to ease some of the burden that has been placed on Emerald Airport due to the rapid increase in Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) and other charter aircraft movements, supporting the booming resource sector in the nearby area.

These new bays stretch around to the South and West of the main terminal building, and take the number of aircraft parking bays at Emerald Airport to six.

The far Western end of the new extended apron remains a parking and loading area for the weekday Toll Express Freight flight between Emerald and Biloela / Thangool and Brisbane.

Further to the construction of the these new parking bays is now the installation of a covered walkway to protect passengers from the weather.  The roof stretches from the terminal building and out to these new aircraft parking bays.

Unfortunately this roof passes directly in front of two of my preferred plane spotting locations at Emerald Airport - the terminal building and the staff carpark.

As can be seen, views of aircraft are sill available here although now the roof is in the way for photos.

Photographers wanting to visit Emerald Airport now only have two real choices for photos at the Airport - or alternatively spotters can venture outside of the Airport and sit by the Gregory Highway (Springsure Road).

Th small grassed area near the General Aviation and visitor parking area - in front of the Advance Aviation office - remains available with good views of the GA apron, a very small part of the terminal parking apron, and further it the main runway 06/24 - albeit with a long lens.

Turning left out the terminal area and walking West along the fence lines towards the airport caretakers house is where spotters will find the main apron access Gate 8.  I've only spotted in this area once - it does provide some nice views of the main runway and taxiways - as shown by some recent photos below.

Nonetheless, Emerald Airport is starting to look quite nice!