Ballina Byron Gateway Airport

Ballina Byron Gateway Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorBallina Shire Council
LocationBallina, New South Wales
OpenedOctober 1986
Elevation AMSL7 ft / 2 m
Coordinates28°50′00″S 153°33′42″E / 28.83333°S 153.56167°E / -28.83333; 153.56167
Websiteballinabyronairport.com.au
Map
YBNA is located in New South Wales
YBNA
YBNA
Location in New South Wales
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
06/24 1,900 6,234 Asphalt
Statistics (March 2022–23)
Passengers650,323
Aircraft movements6,831
Sources: Airservices Australia,[1] BITRE[2]

Ballina Byron Gateway Airport (IATA: BNK, ICAO: YBNA) is a regional airport located at Ballina, New South Wales, Australia. It is owned and operated by Ballina Shire Council. It opened in October 1986.[3]

It serves Ballina and the nearby town of Byron Bay, a 20-minute drive north. Ballina Byron Airport handled 650,323 passengers between March 2022 and March 2023 making it the 16th busiest airport in Australia.[4]

It is 5 km (3 mi) from the Ballina CBD, in Southern Cross Drive. An occasional bus service operates to and from the airport, except on Christmas Day.

In 2005 Ballina Airport was renamed Ballina Byron Gateway Airport in a bid to attract more people to the area.[5]

In 2022 a new access road was constructed along with upgrades to the car parking and pedestrian access.[6] Further upgrades are proposed in the short-medium term to support the increasing passenger volumes including expanding the check-in area, expanding the departure hall and providing additional retail facilities, expanding the baggage collection capacity and additional taxiways, private aircraft terminal, air control tower and additional jet parking bays.[7]

  1. ^ YBNA – BALLINA (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 13 June 2024
  2. ^ "Airport Traffic Data 2023". Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics. September 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  3. ^ Vist of the first commercial flight to Ballina Australian Aviation issue 36 January 1987 page 14.
  4. ^ "Domestic aviation activity August 2023". Bureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  5. ^ "Ballina Airport Travel Guide". www.travelonline.com. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Discover Ballina - Airport Boulevard Now Open". www.discoverballina.com.au. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Ballina Shire Commercial Services Meeting Agenda" (PDF). Ballina Shire Council. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 4 October 2023.