About Us
Coffs Harbour Airport is one of the busiest regional airports in New South Wales and located just four kilometres south of the city centre.
Airport passenger numbers grew 134 percent between 2000 and 2016 with annual passenger numbers of 396,917 being recorded in FY2019 (pre-COVID).
The airport plays an important regional role in ensuring this strong growth continues while supporting the Coffs community reach its full potential as a vibrant regional hub.
On 1 June 2021, the operations and management of Coffs Harbour Airport was transferred from Coffs Harbour City Council to Palisade Investment Partners under a long term lease. The 50 year lease (with a 49-year option) sees the establishment of a private company Coffs Harbour Airport Pty Ltd.
The Airport Enterprise Park, currently under development, will deliver more than 23 hectares of commercial land for a mix of retail, commercial, industry and light manufacturing to attract commercial investment and jobs to the airport precinct.
Our History
An airport for Coffs Harbour was mooted by the then Dorrigo Council in 1928 but it was not until 1930 that funds were secured enabling improvements to the grass landing strip and site drainage. A year later Council was gazetted as the Trustee of Coffs Harbour Aerodrome by the Lands Department.
The Aerodrome continued under Council management until World War II when it was taken over by the Commonwealth until its return to Council in 1984 under the Local Ownerships Plan. As part of this Plan, Commonwealth funds were made available to widen the main runway and build a new terminal which was completed in 1987.
During the 1980’s the Air Traffic Control Tower was installed and is administered by Air Services Australia.
Since 1984, Council developed and implemented a series of Management Plans to guide ongoing investment and enhancements to airport infrastructure, facilities and aviation services. This occurred in 1994, 2004, 2007, 2011, and 2014.
Through these plans, the airport runways were upgraded and strengthened as aircraft sizes increased and aircraft began landing with greater frequency. The airport terminal too, underwent some major changes.
In 2017 Coffs Harbour Airport invested in expansion works, with funding from the NSW State Government. These included an extension of the departures and arrivals halls, creating an additional 25 per cent of floor space, and improved passenger facilities and amenities. These upgrades included additional disabled toilets and the installation of a hearing augmentation system, to assist those with hearing impairment.
