Armidale Airport

Armidale Airport
IATA: ARM – ICAO: YARM
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Armidale Dumaresq Shire
Serves	Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Elevation AMSL	3,556 ft / 1,084 m
Coordinates	30°31′42″S 151°37′00″E / 30.52833°S 151.61667°ECoordinates: 30°31′42″S 151°37′00″E / 30.52833°S 151.61667°E
Map
YARM Location in New South Wales
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 1,738 5,702 Asphalt 09/27 1,116 3,661 Grass/Gravel
Statistics (FY 2012-13[1])
Revenue passengers 107,470 Aircraft movements 3,141
Sources: Airservices Australia,[2] BITRE[3]

Armidale Airport (IATA: ARM, ICAO: YARM)^[4] is an airport serving Armidale, a city in the Australian state of New South Wales.^[2] It is located 2 nautical miles (3.7 km; 2.3 mi) southwest^[2] of the town centre, on the New England Highway.^[5] The airport is operated by the Armidale Dumaresq Shire Council.^[2]

Facilities

The airport resides at an elevation of 3,556 ft (1,084 m) above mean sea level. It has two runways: 05/23 with an asphalt surface measuring 1,738 m × 30 m (5,702 ft × 98 ft) and 09/27 with a grassed gravel surface measuring 1,116 m × 30 m (3,661 ft × 98 ft).^[2]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
QantasLink operated by Eastern Australia Airlines	Sydney
Regional Express	Sydney[6]

Previous airlines

East-West Airlines operated from Sydney and Brisbane to Armidale from 1949 until 1988 when the routes were taken over by Eastern Australia Airlines (then a subsidiary of Australian Airlines, now a subsidiary of Qantas).

Hazelton Airlines, an affiliate of Ansett Australia, operated between Sydney and Armidale from 1989 until the company collapsed in 2002.

Impulse Airlines operated services to Sydney and Brisbane from 1994 until it was taken over by Qantas in 2001.

A Tamworth-Armidale-Brisbane route was served by QantasLink until 2002, when the service was taken over by MacAir Airlines^[7] until January 2003, after which time it was operated by Sunshine Express Airlines^[8] before the company ceased scheduled flying in 2006. Brindabella Airlines commenced Armidale-Brisbane flights in August 2011 using Metro III turboprop aircraft, however this service was discontinued in June 2012. The decision to withdraw from Armidale and Albury made national headlines as it was widely reported the airline's reasons included an expected increase in operating costs due to the implementation of the controversial Carbon pricing scheme by the Gillard Government set to become effective the following month.^[9]

Airport upgrade

The Armidale Dumaresq Shire Council has a number of upgrades to the airport currently in progress, with much of the funding for the works promised by Member for New England Barnaby Joyce during the 2013 Australian federal election campaign.^[10] Previously the council had unsuccessfully submitted a proposal to the Regional Development Australia Fund in 2012 for $2.45 million in funding to allow upgrades to the airport terminal, security screening and apron areas, as well as resurfacing the runway, construction of a parallel taxiway and upgrading the airport's lighting. When complete the works will increase capacity, allowing the airport to handle 70 seat aircraft^[11] such as the Bombardier Q400 operated by QantasLink and potentially attract new airlines such as Virgin Australia, operating ATR 72 type aircraft through its regional subsidiaries.

Statistics

Armidale Airport was ranked 45th in Australia for the number of revenue passengers served in financial year 2012-2013.^[1][3]

Annual passenger and aircraft statistics for Armidale^[3]

Year	Revenue passengers	Aircraft movements
2003-04	63,678	3,766
2004-05	89,616	5,466
2005-06	100,984	5,511
2006-07	86,215	2,946
2007-08	95,273	3,122
2008-09	95,559	2,597
2009-10	99,578	2,702
2010-11	104,888	3,074
2011-12	106,944	3,528
2012-13	107,470	3,141

See also

• List of the busiest airports in Australia
• List of airports in New South Wales

References

1. Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June
2. YARM – ARMIDALE (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 29 May 2014
3. "Airport Traffic Data 1985-86 to 2012-2013". Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). November 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
4. "Armidale Airport (ARM / YARM)". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
5. "Airport Guide: Armidale Airport". Qantas. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
6. "Rex to partner with Armidale". australianaviation.com.au. February 27, 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
7. Cobb, Simone (5 July 2002). "Macair ready for take-off". Northern Daily Leader.
8. "Brisbane air link up and away". Northern Daily Leader. 12 June 2003.
9. Wroe, David (30 May 2012). "Air route axed amid carbon tax concerns". Sydney Morning Herald.
10. Harris, Samantha Jo (13 September 2013). "Armidale Airport upgrade still subject to funding as work commences". The Armidale Express.
11. Jeffery, Stephen (7 December 2012). "Bid for airport upgrade gets nod". The Armidale Express.

External links

• Armidale by Air - info and images of Armidale Airport