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Busselton Margaret River Airport

Located less than 10 minutes’ drive from Busselton City Centre, Busselton Margaret River Airport is a critical piece of infrastructure for Busselton and the surrounding South West region.

Flights operating from the airport include Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) with Jetstar, FIFO (fly in fly out) services and private charters.

Passenger and Air Service Growth

Over recent years, the airport has seen considerable growth in passenger numbers across both FIFO and RPT categories.

In terms of the volume of services, the commencement of Jetstar RPT services from Melbourne in April 2022 introduced three return flights per week. The service has attracted consistently high passenger loads, with 50,000 passengers using the service in the first 12 months of operation. Jetstar added a fourth Melbourne service to the roster in 2023.

In November 2023, Jetstar announced that a direct Sydney-Busselton service will commence in March 2024, with three return flights per week.

At the same time, FIFO services have been growing consistently. During the period from 2018/19 to 2021/22, services more than doubled, growing from 10 return flights per week to 28 return flights per week.

Service Expansion

Work continues to attract interstate and international RPT services to Busselton. Attracting additional air services offers multiple benefits for the region and for the broader South West. With regards to leisure visitation alone, new flight routes offer significant potential to attract visitors from key interstate and international markets who have the potential to smooth the destination’s seasonality by travelling outside of peak periods and mid-week, as well as statistically staying longer and spending more than intrastate visitors.

Alongside leisure visitation, the Busselton Margaret River Airport Master Plan also includes future development for the facilitation of new trade opportunities, such as air freight.

Current Terminal: Not Fit For Future Purpose

There are numerous constraints at the Airport which can result in delayed departures, passengers having a crammed and uncomfortable experience, and risk causing reputational damage among both visitors and airline partners.

Terminal limitations include the fact that it is impossible to operate concurrent RPT services, which greatly limits the slots that are available for new routes to come in. There is also limited space to handle checked-in baggage and oversized baggage such as bicycles and surf boards. Apron bay parking constraints limit passenger and aircraft movements when there is simultaneous arrival of RPT and FIFO charter aircraft.

Thanks to funding from local, state and federal governments, there has been a sustained effort to address critical issues. The City of Busselton’s current Airport Development Project is progressing, with improvements such as the expansion of the departure lounge to be able to accommodate a full plane load of passengers, almost complete. However, while this will assist greatly in delivering the current RPT services, it does not provide for the anticipated growth in both RPT and FIFO flights into the future.

State Government Funding for Planning

In line with advocacy from MRBTA, the City of Busselton and our other partners, in August 2023 the State Government announced that it has committed funding to support planning for the future of Busselton Margaret River Airport. This news was welcomed by MRBTA.

 

Additional Information

  • Visit the City of Busselton’s Airport website.
  • The City of Busselton manages advertising opportunities at the Airport. See more information on advertising at the Busselton Margaret River Airport here.
  • South West Aviation Services (SWAS) is a professional aviation ground handling company contracted to deliver Passenger Experience and Ramp Handling services for several airlines at the Busselton Margaret River Airport. SWAS is operated by MRBTA. Servicing both Regular Passenger Transport (RPT) flights, as well as private and adhoc charter flights, SWAS brings together a team of highly trained staff which has established a strong reputation for delivering exceptional service over 15 years in the industry. View website.

Announcements

 

– Updated November 2023