King Island Airport
King Island Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | King Island Council | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | King Island | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Currie, Tasmania | ||||||||||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 132 ft (40 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°52′39″S 143°52′42″E / 39.87750°S 143.87833°E | ||||||||||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||||||||||
  YKII Location in Tasmania | |||||||||||||||||||
Interactive map of King Island Airport | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Sources: Australian AIP and aerodrome chart[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
King Island Airport (IATA: KNS, ICAO: YKII) is a small regional airport located near the town of Currie on King Island off the north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. The airport is owned and operated by the King Island Council.
History
An aerodrome site on King Island was selected in 1932. This was seen as a necessity by the community who previously had relied entirely on slow ships in the treacherous Bass Strait to access Tasmania and the mainland. The first flight landed on 24 December that year. The aerodrome was licensed for commercial operations in January 1933, allowing Holyman's Airways to begin scheduled passenger service.[2] At a ceremony on 2 December 1933, the airport was officially opened by Sir Ernest Clark, the Governor of Tasmania.[3] Holyman's were joined in September 1934 by Tasmanian Aerial Services, who stopped at King Island as part of the Melbourne to Hobart leg of the Empire Airmail Service linking Australia with the United Kingdom.[2] By February 1935, flights operated three times per week each to Melbourne and Launceston.[2]
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| King Island Airlines | Melbourne–Moorabbin[4] |
| Rex Airlines | Melbourne–Tullamarine[5] |
| Sharp Airlines | Burnie, Hobart, Launceston[6][7] |
Cargo
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Southern Airlines | Melbourne–Moorabbin[8] |
Accidents and incidents
- On 21 October 1978, 20-year-old Frederick Valentich disappeared over Bass Strait in mysterious circumstances while flying solo between Melbourne and King Island. While over Bass Strait, prior to his disappearance, Valentich reported encountering a strange object in the sky that did not appear to be an aircraft. An extensive search by the Royal Australian Air Force found no trace of Valentich or his aircraft.[9]
- The airport was the site of a light plane crash on 26 November 1998, when a Piper Lance crashed shortly after takeoff on its way to Moorabbin, Victoria, killing three Melbourne nurses on board.[10] It was suspected that a strong gust of wind just after takeoff caused the plane to stall and crash.[11]
See also
References
- ↑ YKII – King Island (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 9 July 2026, Aeronautical Chart
- 1 2 3 W Dearing (September 2021). "King Island Airport – A Brief Early History" (PDF). Tasmanian Aviation Historical Society Incorporated. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "King Island's New Aerodrome". The Advocate. Burnie, Tas. 30 November 1933. p. 6. Retrieved 4 June 2026 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ Rolley, Pam (25 February 2026). "King Island delegates unable to attend aviation hearing at Wynyard". King Island Courier. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ Jake Nelson (27 May 2026). "Sharp looking more closely at King Island as Rex cuts back". Australian Aviation. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "King Island gets first direct flights to Launceston with Sharp Airlines". Pulse Tasmania. 10 April 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ Nelson, Jake (9 April 2026). "Sharp Airlines to link Launceston non-stop with King Island". Australian Aviation. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ Rolley, Pam (2 May 2026). "Concerns around Australia Post deliveries to King Island". King Island Courier. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ Richard Wood (21 October 2025). "Today in History - October 21: 'It's not an aircraft': Final words of pilot after spotting mystery object". 9News. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "King Island death flight". The Examiner. 26 November 1998. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
- ↑ "Plane crash survivor's tale of courage". The New Zealand Herald. 21 March 2005. Retrieved 4 June 2026.
External links