Australia has a large number of airports that can cater to the private jets of executives, high-net-worthy individuals or celebrities. They can offer a discreet service and the ultimate in convenience. Here we can take a look at some of the airports across Australia to explore what facilities they have to offer the private jet industry and find out any unique features that they may have.
The needs of private jets and their owners are quite unique. The pilots will be looking at what they need for the aircraft and the flight attendant will be looking at provisions and catering. The owner/ private jet traveler will be looking at VIP lounges and facilities and how quickly they can get through the airport. As well as being very flexible and exclusive, the smaller private jet terminals or fixed base operators (FBO) make private jet travel easy and offer customized services to each client. They also save a lot of time waiting at the airport.
Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD), New South Wales
This airport is the busiest airport in Australia and, naturally, will also be a hub for private jets. At the general aviation terminal, there are various FBO facilities to choose from. Including Execujet and Jet Aviation. Execujet has a VIP lounge, concierge facilities, hangar space and a maintenance facility. They offer a seamless service to get VIPs through the terminal as fast as possible and their expedited customs and immigration area. There is private ramp access and refueling services are available.
The proximity to Sydney’s CBD makes it popular with all travelers visiting the city, but certainly where time is of the essence, which is the priority of most private jet users. The distance from the airport to the city is just 8 kilometers. Statistics from the airport reported that private jet visits had surged since the pandemic. In October 2019, 386 movements were reported in comparison to 478 movements in October 2022. The same report said that during 2023, there had been a 17.7% rise in private jet arrivals.
Key Routes And Flight Times:
- Sydney to Melbourne: One hour and 15 minutes – Often used for business travel.
- Sydney to Gold Coast: One hour and 20 minutes – Ideal for weekend getaways.
- Sydney to Hamilton Island: Two hours 15 minutes – Often used for luxury holidays.
Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Essendon Fields Airport (MEB), Victoria
Visitors to the city of Melbourne have two choices. There is Melbourne Airport, locally known as Tullamarine Airport, which is an international hub, and has established FBOs, including Universal Aviation. They can arrange permits, transportation and catering as well as fueling and ground handling.
Essendon Fields Airport, however, is extremely popular with private jets, and is close to the city. The terminal is run by Melbourne Jet Base and the impressive FBOs architecture is inspired by flight. There are lounges and office space available as well as a range of aircraft services. This luxurious FBO also has private suite accommodation and a spa and has welcomed royalty and heads of state. It is just ten minutes from the city.
A Douglas DC-3 is displayed at the airport. It was a renovation project and it last flew in 2017. Helicopter transfers are also available. Execujet, Platinum Business Aviation Center and Melbourne Corporate Jet Center all operate FBOs at Essendon Fields Airport. Facilities include modern VIP lounges and refreshments, crew lounges and concierge services.
Key routes and flight times:
- Melbourne to Sydney: One-hour flight time – Mostly used for corporate travel and meetings.
- Melbourne to Hobart: One hour and ten minutes – A short break in Tasmania.
- Melbourne to Uluru: Three hours – For adventures in the outback.
Brisbane Airport (BNE), Queensland
Brisbane Airport is popular with leisure travelers visiting the region for its tropical rain forests, coral reefs, beaches and islands. It is the 4th best performing airport in the world, in the mid-size category, according to OAG. It also has an impressive 87% on-time performance record. The airport was also rated Australia’s number one airport for quality of service for ten years in a row by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. It is no wonder it is so popular with VIP guests and their private jets.
There are a few FBOs at the airport that cater to private jets, including Jet Aviation. It has VIP lounges with panoramic views and refreshments and can arrange limousine transfers or helicopter transfers for its discerning clients. It has its own executive terminal at Brisbane Airport, with onsite customs and immigration, VIP passenger lounges and crew lounges. They can also arrange hotels, transportation and assist with catering.
Key routes and flight times:
- Brisbane to Gold Coast: A 30-minute flight – For a day trip or a special event.
- Brisbane to Hamilton Island: Around two hours – Popular for a break or holiday.
- Brisbane to Cairns: Two hours and 15 minutes – Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
Avcair offers a full-service FBO with executive lounge, fuel and ground handling services and has been serving the private jet industry at Brisbane Airport for over 20 years. They also have an air charter service that has carried ‘Australia’s top oil and gas mining executives, celebrities and personalities, and elite business travelers’. Brisbane Jet Base and Corporate Air are other options.
Adelaide Airport (ADL), South Australia
The airport has recently expanded and been upgraded and attracts visitors to the Barossa Valley and Kangaroo Island. The FBOs there include Airflite and Corporate Aircraft Charter. There is a general aviation terminal for private jets. Corporate Aircraft Charter has a dedicated hangar next door for storage or maintenance. The airport is just 6 kilometers from Adelaide’s CBD. Adelaide Airport is the fifth-busiest airport in Australia by passenger traffic, serving 8.45 million passengers in 2024.
The airport is known for its compact size and friendly and efficient staff. FBO facilities include concierge services for all the finer details of a trip and there is office space available. The VIP lounges are comfortable and are stocked with regional and local produce. Airflite has a VIP lounge, pilot lounge, business center and conference room.
Gold Coast Airport (OOL), Queensland
This airport is popular with both celebrities and upmarket holidaymakers who head for the luxury resorts and theme parks. Also known as Coolangatta Airport, the FBOs available include Universal Aviation and the Platinum Business Aviation Center. There are ocean view VIP lounges in the resort-style terminal and helicopter transfers are available.
The lounges are modern and spacious with complimentary Wi-Fi, drinks and snacks and there are showers available. They also offer concierge services and there is a pilot lounge and crew planning room. They have facilities for aircraft servicing, fueling and some hangar space for smaller business jets like the Gulfstream IV.
Key routes and flight times:
- Gold Coast to Sydney: One hour and twenty minutes – More often for business.
- Gold Coast to Hamilton Island: Two hours approximately – For island hopping.
- Gold Coast to Byron Bay: A short 30-minute trip for an escape to the coast.
Gold Coast Airport is less than 30 kilometers from Surfers Paradise and perhaps unsurprisingly, is the sixth-busiest airport in Australia. According to their website, 75% of their traffic is for the purpose of leisure travel. It is also under expansion and is considered one of the fastest growing airports in the region.
Final Break Down And Concluding Thoughts
Although all five airports rank high consistently in private jet travel, especially for their specialized services and luxury facilities, they are by no means the top five in Australia. They are all close to city centers, which is a distinct advantage for private jet travelers and are popular destinations for business and leisure travel.
The best choice is obviously subjective and depends on the chosen destination. In particular, Perth (PER), Western Australia, Cairns (CNS), Queensland and Hamilton Island (HTI) in the Whitsundays, all have excellent facilities for private jets. At Perth Airport, VIPs can make use of the privately owned Pearl Flight Center with excellent facilities and lounges.
There is also Revesco Aviation, who have dealt with prime ministers and heads of state, but Perth is also a magnet for mining executives and those exploring the remote outback. In Cairns, there is a Jet Aviation FBO with lounges and refreshments as well as the Machjet International FBO.
Remote destinations are an advantage when traveling by private jet, so Alice Springs Airport (ASP), Northern Territory, Hobart Airport (HBA), Tasmania and Broome International Airport (BIA) are all examples. They are easily accessible by private jet and allow the great outback coasts and islands of Australia to be explored further.
