Emerald Airport on Tuesday Evening – Including an Update on the Airport Redevelopment

I ventured to Emerald Airport on Tuesday 13 November specifically to see the Regional Express (REX) SAAB 340B VH-ZJS.

The bright and colourful SAAB is photographed just after arriving from Brisbane on an AERgO fly-in fly-out (FIFO) charter flight.

It appears that some of these AERgO flights have had an equipment change, with some flights now being flown by Skytrans Dash-8 aircraft, rather than the bigger Alliance Airlines Fokker 70/100 jet aircraft.

Early on Tuesday 13 November, Skytrans Dash-8-300 VH-QQN Was noted arriving back into Brisbane from Emerald as SKP711.  It had arrived into Emerald late on Monday 12 November from Brisbane as SKP710.

Alliance also operates another FIFO flight to Emerald Airport from Brisbane each Tuesday, and on Tuesday 13 November, Fokker F-100 VH-XWS operated the UTY400/401 flight from and back to Brisbane.  VH-XWS is the latest F-100 to join the Alliance fleet, and was stored for some time at Brisbane Airport in the colours of Germania - its former operator.

Meanwhile, as the sun was going down, Emerald Airport came alive with Virgin Australia (Skywest Airlines) ATR 72-600 VH-FVN arriving from and departing back to Brisbane.

The ATR 72-600 is becoming a more frequent visitor to Emerald, with as many as four ATR-operated Virgin Australia flights now touching down on weekdays.  Virgin has also recently started flying to Emerald on Saturdays!

Toll Freight Metro III VH-UZW departed Emerald for Thangool / Biloela Airport as TFX111.

Before it departed, Advance Aviation Piper PA-31 VH-LWW, PA-32 VH-MSR, and Cessna 210 VH-TQC (pictured below) all arrived from different towns around Central Queensland with freight for the Metro.

Another "flying pencil" – Metro 23 VH-VEK of Corporate Air / Vee H Aviation was also spotted at Emerald Airport.  VH-VEK departed for parts unknown shortly before the Toll Metro.

On the light aircraft parking apron, Baywater Road Piper PA-31P-425 Pressurised Navajo VH-SGA was noted.  This aircraft is used for aerial survey flights.

Lastly, QantasLink Dash-8-Q400 VH-QOB is pictured arriving into Emerald from Brisbane just after the sun went down.

Meanwhile, the further redevelopment of Emerald Airport continues.  Preparations for laying the tarmac for the new aircraft parking bays on the Western edge of the airport has begun.  The area has been laid flat, and it looks like a base has been put down.  There should be an extra four aircraft parking bays in this area, with plans for this area to be utilised by FIFO traffic.

Preparations for a new carpark have also started with trees cleared and the area laid flat.