Finishing Touches Left for Major Upgrades at Emerald Airport Terminal and Carpark

A $6 million upgrade of the terminal building and carpark at the Emerald Airport is almost complete, making this important gateway to the Central Highlands and Coalfields safer for travellers.

In the carpark area, there is now a formal drop-off and pick-up zone with shade structures.  There are new ticketing machines and raised traffic crossings.  This should make it safer for passengers moving between the terminal and the carpark and will also remove traffic from right out front of the building.

Inside the Emerald Airport terminal, there is now a new screening hall with private search rooms, upgraded screening equipment and a new body scanner, aimed at picking up a class of threat that there was little capability to do so before.

I also noted that the flow of the departure and arrival process has also been improved.  Passengers now remain inside the building from check-in to boarding.  

There also is an anti-pass-back door that has also been installed between the arrivals and departures areas, a highly sophisticated security device which restricts unwanted passenger movement.

The kiosk was open again - under new management - and now located on the other side of the security screening point.

Sadly though for plane spotters, there are no 'improvements' inside the terminal building with awnings and shade structures and pylons still in the way and obstructing views of aircraft parked at the terminal and on the movement areas.

All that seemingly remains is directional signage, which is planned to be installed over the next few weeks, with the project set to be officially completed later this month.

Central Highlands Regional Council’s Airport Manager Salomon Kloppers said the entire project was a 'game-changer' for security at the facility.

Mr Kloppers also said that behind the scenes, there has been an "absolute leapfrog" in terms of building safety, with improved onsite water supplies and fire pumps, as well as increased firefighting capabilities, and smoke and heat detection.

Emerald Airport is the 34th largest in Australia.

Additional images from Central Highlands Regional Council

Emerald Airport Plane Spotting Locations - UPDATED!!

Updated January 2019.

The Central Highlands Regional Council owns and operates the Emerald Airport which is located approximately 6km South of the Emerald along the Gregory Highway (Springsure Road).

QantasLink and Virgin Australia RPT services fly in and out of Emerald with several daily service from and back to Brisbane operated by Dash-8-Q300 and Dash-8-Q400 turboprops operating for QantasLink while Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70 and F-100 jets operate Virgin scheduled services on a wet lease arrangement since 2017.

There are also regular and ad-hoc fly-in fly-out (FIFO) mining and other charter flights in and out of Emerald operated by Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70s and F-100s on flights from and back to the Brisbane via the Sunshine Coast.

Finally, freight flights in and out of Emerald Airport are currently operated each weekday by General Aviation Maintenance (GAM) with one of their Dornier DO-228-202 aircraft operating from Brisbane via Biloela/Thangool and back to Brisbane sometimes via Rockhampton.  While freight from Longreach and Barcaldine is flown to Emerald Airport by a General Aviation Maintenance (GAM) AeroCommander 500-S which is based at Emerald Airport.

At Emerald Airport itself, there is a large public car park located directly in front of the terminal building which has been significantly expanded and become a paid car park. There is no charge for the first half-hour use of the public car park and there are two automatic payment machines located on site. The carpark can become quite busy over the weekend, and so an additional long-term parking facility has been recently opened up, towards the Western edge of the airport.  This is also a paid parking system with its own entry/exit gates and payment machine.

The actual Emerald Airport terminal building (shown below) has undergone significant redevelopment over the last few years, and now features a big check-in area, baggage conveyors including a new baggage collection facility, and a much larger passenger waiting and seating area. Security screening facilities have also been installed and are now fully operational. Qantas has also recently opened a Qantas Club Regional Lounge.

There has also been significant apron and taxiway works in recent months, with an undercover walkway added from the terminal building to the parking gates providing cover for passengers transiting from most flights.  Sadly, this covered walkway has been built in front of some of the more prominent spotting locations - that being the terminal eating area and passenger waiting area (through security) - as well as the raised employee parking area - which no longer afford unobstructed views of aircraft parked and moving on the main Runway 06/24.

Outside of the terminal, heading North, on the left side of terminal in the picture below, is an open fence line next to the (now defunct) Advance Aviation offices, where photos can be had taken of the terminal apron along with the General Aviation (GA) aircraft parking apron (shown below), and out further to the runways.

On the South-Western end of the new terminal (on the right side as you face the terminal), the Council has opened up a previously sectioned off area of fence line that has some views over the freight apron and nearby parking gates.

Further down this fence line - continuing to the West - is now probably the 'best' area to watch and photograph visiting aircraft to Emerald.  Near the airport managers' house is the main apron access Gate 8, which does provide some nice views of the main runway and taxiways - as shown by some recent photos below.

Visiting corporate bizjets generally park nearby, as do the above mentioned freight aircraft.

Also, pictured below are a selection of around a dozen various RA-Aus registered and other light aircraft parked and hangared on the Northern edge of the airport. These aircraft can often be seen quite easily from the airport access road and the nearby overflow car parking area.

With a good mix of scheduled RPT, FIFO charter flights and General Aviation aircraft using Emerald Airport as a re-fuelling stop, Emerald Airport can be a nice little airport for spotters!

Gladstone Airport Information and Plane Spotting Locations - UPDATED!!

Updated January 2019.

Gladstone is a rapidly growing industrial city on the Central Queensland coast. The airport caters primarily for business and leisure travellers and freight activities associated with the region's developed and emerging industrial complexes. The Airport is located on Aerodrome Road, approximately 5km from the city centre and is well catered for by taxi and charter bus services.

Scheduled passenger services to Gladstone Airport are operated by Qantas (QantasLink) and Virgin Australia / Alliance Airlines.  QantasLink flights are mostly operated by Dash-8-Q300 and Dash-8-Q400 turbo-prop aircraft with the occasional Cobham Aviation-operated Boeing B717-200 jet aircraft.

Virgin Australia services are operated by Alliance Airlines Fokker F-70 and F-100 jet aircraft.  Alliance Airlines took over operating some services for Virgin Australia into Gladstone in 2017.

There is the occasional Virgin Australia Boeing B737 jet service to Gladstone Airport when loads dictate.

All scheduled flights operating at Gladstone Airport are currently from and to Brisbane.

Gladstone also occasional sees larger aircraft operating closed charter flights such as Skytraders Pty Ltd Airbus A319-115(LR) VH-VHD "Snowbird 1" as shown below.

The main Gladstone Airport terminal is on the Southern side of the Airport itself and underwent major expansion in 2011, along with some associated runway and taxiway works.  The Airport terminal was extensively overhauled with a new departure lounge and seating added, as well as the introduction of passenger security screening facilities.  A 'Coffee Club' restaurant has also opened in this section beyond the security check-point.

The Gladstone Airport Terminal is also effectively in two sections with the upper section featuring the check-in counters, car rental service desks, some general seating including a kiosk/bar, as well as the baggage collection carousel.

There are good views from the terminal over the entire Airport parking apron, and further to the main Runway 10/28 - although these are through glass.

Outside the terminal and to the East, the Long-term parking lot has great views over this end of the Airport parking apron.  Local plane spotters have been known to frequent this area to capture some great photos - particularly during the morning - but also capture some atmospheric night photos of visiting aircraft staying overnight.

Venturing back past the terminal and continuing further West, spotters will head towards the General Aviation (GA) Area featuring the recently opened Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) crew rest area and hangar.  There are great views through the fence over the often very busy GA Apron containing local aircraft along with numerous visiting aircraft calling in to the industrial city.

Air Charter CQ / Australia by Seaplane flys passengers to the nearby Heron Island from their small terminal building and their Found Aircraft Canada Bush Hawk XP VH-OOB and De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver Mk1 VH-IDO are prominent on the GA Apron.

Continuing further West, starting to get away from the main Airport area, Aerodrome Road winds its way up a hill, past some locally owned aircraft hangars, and the raised aspect of this part overlooking Gladstone Airport allows spotters to capture some great images of aircraft on the close Taxiway and further to the Runway.  

Relatively unobstructed views over the Airport parking apron can also be had in this area.

Other General Aviation operations take place on the Northern side of Gladstone Airport - along Callemondah Drive - where Heli-Aust Whitsundays (Gladstone Helicopters) completes several flights each day on marine pilot transfers to Gladstone Harbour.

Local aircraft maintenance provider, Aerotor, also has its facilities on this side of the Airport.  There are usually helicopters parked on the nearby aprons, along with various light aircraft which are often parked on nearby parking aprons.

Plane spotting and photography is possible on this Northern side of Gladstone Airport, with the morning being the best time around this side for photos as the sun will largely behind you.  

For a full view of Gladstone Airport and its main Runway 10/28, you can stand on the side of the Dawson Highway and nearby streets, although parking on these roads is limited or prohibited.

Moreover, please be advised that there are several parking restrictions around local streets and in parts of the Airport complex.

I find Gladstone is a pretty easy place to capture most aircraft movements.

File photos taken by Col B, Anthony Schulz, Michael Fleetwood and Jamie & Tash  ©