15 kilometres from the city of Newcastle in New South Wales, Newcastle Airport is a growing hub for the eastern Australian region. The domestic terminal handles over one million passengers a year.
The twelfth busiest airport in Australia, Newcastle Airport is entirely domestic with routes all over the land down under. Passenger airlines include FlyPelican, Jetstar Airways, QantasLink, Regional Express and Virgin Australia. The most popular destinations from Newcastle are Brisbane and Melbourne, but there are also routes available to Sydney, Canberra and some smaller Australian towns.
Newcastle Airport is easily accessible from the city centre. A ten-minute drive on the A1 roadway is all it takes to reach the terminal. There are also bus routes and a direct Metro connection between the airport and central Newcastle. These public transportation options take just under 30 minutes. For athletic types, there is free bicycle parking outside the terminal.
Commercial flights at Newcastle started in 1947. The airport very briefly had an international route to Auckland, but these were discontinued after just a year. Now, with the 2015 terminal expansion, the road may be paved for Newcastle Airport to resume international service, as this extra space could provide room for a dedicated customs and immigration area.