Kingscote Airport
Kingscote Airport prior to runway upgrade
New Terminal at Kingscote Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorKangaroo Island Council
ServesKangaroo Island
LocationCygnet River[1]
Elevation AMSL24 ft / 7 m
Coordinates35°42′36.3″S 137°31′29.6″E / 35.710083°S 137.524889°E / -35.710083; 137.524889
Map
YKSC is located in South Australia
YKSC
YKSC
Location in South Australia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
01/19 1,402 4,600 Asphalt
06/24 1,134 3,720 Gravel
15/33 1,164 3,819 Gravel
Statistics (2010/11[2])
Passengers51,021
Aircraft movements2,398
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[3][4]

Kingscote Airport (IATA: KGC, ICAO: YKSC) is located 6.5 nautical miles (12.0 km; 7.5 mi) southwest[3] of Kingscote, South Australia, the main town on Kangaroo Island, in the locality of Cygnet River. The airport is the sole airport for Kangaroo Island.[1][5] The airport is served by regular public transport and many charter flights. The airport is managed by the Kangaroo Island Council, which has operated the airport since 16 June 1983.

A runway upgrade and new terminal building were completed in May 2018, and officially opened by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Premier of South Australia, Steven Marshall, on 4 July 2018.[6]

Airline history

Guinea Airways operated the first commercial service to Kangaroo Island, commencing in the 1930s. In 1959, the airline was acquired by Airlines of South Australia (ASA), a subsidiary of Ansett Airlines. The airline's final service was on 4 April 1986. ASA primarily operated Convairs, Douglas DC-3 and Fokker F-27 aircraft. A Piaggio P166 was used infrequently in the 1970s, whilst Rossair operated Cessna 402s in an arrangement with ASA to replace the F27s in off-peak times.

Following the withdrawal of ASA, Kendell Airlines (another Ansett subsidiary), operated 19-seat Fairchild Metroliners and 34 seat SAAB aircraft to the Island. Upon Ansett's ultimate demise in 2002, Regional Express (Rex) acquired the Kendell aircraft and continued services which were later dropped.

In competition with the larger aircraft, and generally with more flexible timetables, a succession of smaller airlines from the 1980s tried with varying success to maintain a 'second string' presence. The most successful, Emu Airways, commenced in 1980 and made its final flight in November 2005. Emu flew Piper Chieftain aircraft to Kingscote, American River, Penneshaw and Parndana, before air regulations dictated abandonment of all airstrips except Kingscote. Air Kangaroo Island (formerly Air Transit), flew Cessna 402s to the island during the 1990s. Keith Stevens operated Albatross Airlines for much of the 1980s and early 1990s.

From 1986 to 1990, Lloyd Aviation operated Embraer EMB 110 Bandeirante aircraft, before flying the Irish-made Short 330. For several years during the 1980s, Commodore Airlines (eventually becoming State Air) offered another alternative service. QantasLink briefly operated a service after the demise of Emu Airways, commencing 18 December 2005,[7] but withdrew less than six months later. Qantaslink also operated direct flights from Kangaroo Island to Melbourne, the first time the route was operated. Air South started operations using a Cessna Titan in January 2007 but ceased regular flights on 17 October 2009.[8]

Qantaslink announced they will commence year round services to Adelaide and seasonal services to Melbourne from December 2017.[9]

On 3 February 2020, Regional Express announced it was exiting the flights to Adelaide before a reversal of the decision on 22 March 2021. However, in 2022 Rex pulled of Kangaroo Island.[10]

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Lucas Air Charter: Adelaide
QantasLink Adelaide[11]

Statistics

Kingscote Airport was ranked 60th in Australia for the number of revenue passengers served in financial year 2010–2011.[2][4]

Annual passenger and aircraft statistics for Kingscote Airport[4]
Year[2] Revenue passengersAircraft movements
2001-02
63,445
8,640
2002-03
64,101
7,679
2003-04
62,677
6,622
2004-05
64,661
6,305
2005-06
60,252
3,541
2006-07
59,155
4,154
2007-08
63,985
5,744
2008-09
59,587
4,754
2009-10
54,480
3,256
2010-11
51,021
2,398

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Kangaroo Island Council development plan" (PDF). Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI). 20 February 2014. pp. 111 & 271. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Fiscal year 1 July – 30 June
  3. 1 2 YKSC – Kingscote (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 2023-11-30, Aeronautical Chart
  4. 1 2 3 "Airport Traffic Data 1985-86 to 2010-11". Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE). May 2012. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 27 June 2012. Refers to "Regular Public Transport (RPT) operations only"
  5. ↑ Kangaroo Island Council (May 2013). "A Business Case for the Upgrade of the Kangaroo Island Airport at Kingscote" (PDF). p. 17. Retrieved 14 November 2015.
  6. ↑ "Kangaroo Island Council – Airport Upgrade". kangarooisland.sa.gov.au. Archived from the original on 22 November 2015.
  7. ↑ "Other News – 10/31/2005". Air Transport World. 1 November 2005. Retrieved 20 August 2011.
  8. ↑ https://apps.contact-technology.co.nz/TakeFlitePublicsth/%28S%28qrnx0irylo0lvv55jvg0ix45%29%29/Default.aspx
  9. ↑ "Qantas to fly in to KI". 31 May 2017.
  10. ↑ "Regional Express airlines to end KI service, after Qantas steps up flights". 5 February 2020.
  11. ↑ Harmsen, Nick (5 June 2017). "Qantas to offer direct flights to Kangaroo Island from Adelaide and Melbourne". Australia: ABC News. Retrieved 5 June 2017.
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