Adelaide International Airport, ADL

Airport Name: Adelaide International Airport
IATA Code: ADL, ICAO Code: YPAD
Airport Type: Medium Airport
Elevation: 6 metres.
Municipiality: Adelaide, Region: South Australia, Country: Australia
Wikipedia link: ADL Airport on Wikipedia

Serving as the major airport on the capital of South Australia, Adelaide Airport ranks as Australia's fifth busiest airport, next to the Perth Airport. This is operated by Adelaide Airport Limited under a long-term lease with the government. Adelaide Airport has already received several awards such as being the world's second best international airport in 2006.

History

An old Adelaide International Airport was built in Hendon in 1921. This was followed by the construction of Parafield airport in 1927, which was done in order to meet the increasing demand for aviation services. However, by 1947, when the airport can no longer keep up with further increase of demands, a new site in West Torrens, now known as West Beach, was selected as the site for the construction of the new Adelaide Airport.

Adelaide Airport started its operation in 1954, although international services only began in 1982 with the construction of a separate international terminal in order to satisfy the influx of demands of passengers from abroad.

Runways

The airport operates with two asphalt runways—5/23 and 12/30. The first one is 3,100m long, while the second measures 1,652m long.

Terminals

Prior to its redevelopment in 2005, Adelaide Airport has received lots of criticisms regarding the limited capacity of its terminal and also the insufficient number of aerobridges. Because of that, proposals suggesting the upgrade of the airport facilities to a world-class standard were made.

By October of 2005, the renovations were finished and the new terminal was opened. However, the airport announced that only International flights will be able to use the new facilities, as problems on underground pipes and fuel pumps came up. A year later, though, everything was fixed and all flights were able to use the new terminal.

The current terminal can handle 27 large aircrafts at the same time, and accommodate as much as 3,000 passengers per hour. It also houses high-class lounges and amenities, 42 check-in desks, 14 aerobridges, and 32 shops. Free WiFi access, provided by Internode, is also available—a first ever for an Australian airport.

Flights and Destinations

Currently, Adelaide Airport hosts five international airlines (Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, and Air New Zealand), three regional airlines (Sharp Airline, National Jet, and Regional Express), and four domestic airlines(Jetstar, Tiger Airways Australia, QantasLink, and Virgin Blue).

Transport To and From the Airport

There are several options one can choose from when going to and from the Adelaide Airport. Cars, taxis, limousines, and buses are available.

Car travelers would have two options on their car parking—short-term and long-term parking. The former is located just in front of the main building, while the latter is a 7-minute walk from the terminal. Parking spaces for the disabled and bicycle racks are also available. Public buses that travel every 20 minutes transfer passengers from the terminal to the parking space.

Taxi ranks are seen on the ground level, in front of the terminal. For those who prefer car rental services, service desks can be found adjacent to the baggage claim area.

The Skylink Airport Shuttle is also available everyday except Christmas. It travels from the Airport to the terminal in Keswick Interstate Railway and also to the Adelaide Central Business District (CBD). Adelaide Airport Flyers minibus also offers a door-to-door service that transfers passengers from the airport to suburban areas such as Victor Harbor and Salisbury.

Adelaide International Airport Arrivals

Adelaide International Airport Departures

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