Bairnsdale Airport

Bairnsdale Airport (IATA: BSJ, ICAO: YBNS) is located 4 nautical miles (7.4 km; 4.6 mi) south west^[4] of Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia, off the Princes Highway.

Bairnsdale Aerodrome
IATA: BSJ ICAO: YBNS
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	East Gippsland Shire Council
Location	Bairnsdale, Victoria
Opened	c. 1939 – RAAF Station Bairnsdale[1][2][3] c. 1954 – Civil Airport
Elevation AMSL	165 ft / 50 m
Coordinates	37°53′15″S 147°34′04″E
Website	www.eastgippsland.vic.gov.au/Services/Aerodromes/Bairnsdale_Aerodrome_Pilot_Information
Map
YBNS Location in Victoria
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 04/22 1,101 3,612 Asphalt 13/31 850 2,789 Asphalt
Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[4]

History

It was originally RAAF Station Bairnsdale, which was a training establishment formed during World War II. No. 1 Operational Training Unit (1OTU) and the General Reconnaissance School (GRS) were based there during the war years.^{[5][6][7][8][9][10]}

Operations

The Airport, despite not having passenger service, is used regularly. It is heavily used by Air Ambulance for transporting patients. It also has small fleet maintenance facilities, and is a popular destination for numerous charter flights.^[11]

There have been proposals for regional passenger service to return to Bairnsdale to boost tourism in the East Gippsland Region, with flights to Melbourne, and possibly Albury and Sydney. However, these proposals have never became reality.^[12]

See also

• List of airports in Victoria