Broome and Broome International Airport are established as the regional hub of northwest Australia and the Gateway to the Kimberley.

Serving business, personal and tourist travellers, BIA has around 250,000 passengers go through its gates each year, making it the major regional airport in WA.

Broome is a rapidly expanding town with a growing town with a growing tourist industry. Visitors are attracted to the warm climate, turquoise waters and beautiful beaches. Broome International Airport is the major air hub of northwest Australia and the Gateway to the Kimberley.

History

When the Geraldton-Derby airmail service first landed at Broome in 1922, the "airport" was any smooth patch of sand on Cable Beach. Sometime in the mid 1920s, a dirt strip was graded adjacent to the old race course, near the airport's current location.

By 1935, the east-west airstrip was laid out in its present alignment. As aircraft became larger and faster, the runway expanded but the airport was really nothing more than a graded strip and a covered shed for a "terminal".

World War II saw a dramatic increase in activity as Broome Airport was a refuelling stop for military aircraft in the northwest region. In addition, Broome's Roebuck Bay became a stopover for huge flying boats evacuating Dutch refugees from Java, which was in the path of advancing Japanese troops.

The war reached Broome on March 3, 1942 when Japanese fighters attacked Broome Airport and the flying boats at anchor in the bay.

Over 70 passengers in the flying boats were killed, just minutes before their scheduled takeoff. The complete story of this tragic day is detailed in ebroome.com/history.

In the immediate aftermath of the attack, Japanese Invasion hysteria was so great that the airport runway was ordered destroyed. At the last minute cooler heads prevailed and the order was rescinded. Nevertheless, Broome was virtually abandoned after the attack - there were ongoing fears of the invasion that never came.

After the war, some determined pearlers returned to Broome hoping to regain the riches of years past. Although the industry did revive somewhat, previous shell prices were never realised. Also, the advent of plastics in the 1950s seriously eroded the demand for mother of pearl shell - the main product of Broome's pearling industry.

Fortunately for Broome and its pearling industry, experiments with cultured pearls were producing exciting results, with the prospect of pearls replacing pearl shell as the money making product. By the 1970s pearl farms were established in coastal waters, producing thousands of beautiful pearls - and reaping millions of dollars. Prosperity finally returned to Broome. With prosperity came new residents and there was a steady tourism increase in Broome and the Kimberley region - and Broome Airport was the main link to the region.

Photo credit: Broome Airport

Broome Airport underwent several stages of expansion, with the first major improvements in 1991 when Airport Engineering Services purchased the airport from the Federal Department of Transport. This transition from government to private operations marked the beginning of a new era for Broome's airport. The next step will be the relocation of the airport to its new site just to the northeast of Broome.

Broome International Airport
PO Box 68
Broome
Western Australia 6725

Telephone: (08) 9193 5455
International: +61 8 9193 5455
Facsimile: (08) 9193 6057
E-mail: admin at broomeair com au

Corporate Headquarters
Broome International Airport
(ABN 99 074 187 732)
53 Wheatley Street
Gosnells
Western Australia 6110

Telephone: (08) 9490 2299
International: +61 8 9490 2299
Facsimile: (08) 9490 1775
E-mail: info at broomeair com au

URL: Broome Airport

Photo credit: Transport (WA Govt) (Click on the photo to enlarge)

 

Photo credit: Transport (WA Govt) (Click on the photo to enlarge)

 

Photo credit: Transport (WA Govt) (Click on the photo to enlarge)

 

Photo credit: Transport (WA Govt) (Click on the photo to enlarge)

 

Photo credit: Transport (WA Govt) (Click on the photo to enlarge)

Runway 10/28

8064 x 148 feet
2458 x 45 meters

Navaids

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2004-2006.
We don't guarantee the information is fresh and accurate. The data may be wrong or outdated.
For more up-to-date information please refer to other sources.