Gladstone Airport Ranks Among Australia's Busiest Regional Airports

The Gladstone Observer newspaper reported recently that Gladstone Airport ranks number 12 on the list of the 50 busiest regional airports in Australia.

Our Airline B737-300 VH-INU operates another FIFO Charter to Gladstone last weekend  (File photo taken by Col  ©)

The surge, largely due to the mining and resources boom, has seen an increase in passenger numbers of 27.3%.  Gladstone's prevalence of Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) workers means the statistics surpass those of Emerald, Mount Isa, Moranbah, Bundaberg and Proserpine.

In the last financial year, Gladstone airport accommodated 471,400 passenger movements.  This was up from 370,300 in the previous financial year of 2012.  The trend is on par with the growth experienced in the charter flight industry, which experienced 23.6% growth last financial year, and is shaping up for another boom year this year.

While tourism has made Queensland's regional airports some of the busiest in the country, it's now the mining and resource industry pushing up the numbers.  Queensland has the highest number of airports in the top 50 list, with 14.

Meanwhile, the man behind the second of two bomb hoaxes at Gladstone Airport in April has been fined $1800 in Gladstone Magistrates Court.  His 'throwaway comment' caused the full evacuation of the Airport as specialist bomb technician officers searched the building before it could be declared safe.

File photo taken by Jamie C  ©

The evacuation came three days after a similar incident at the Airport.