It isn’t just the city of Canberra that is steeped in history, it’s also the airport. Its beginnings date back to 1926 when the opening of Parliament House was approaching with a celebratory flying display from the Royal Australian Airforce. With this, an airfield was needed and Airforce Captain Henri Petre deemed a paddock in the Majura Valley to be ‘absolutely ideal for flying’. It was then leased to the Department of Defence, before being handed over to the Government’s civil aviation four years later.
Between 1939 and 2003, Canberra Airport was operating solely for defence and civil aviation needs, until the RAAF base was decommissioned. Today, the presence of the defence can be found at the north-eastern side of the airport where the Prime Minister’s fleet of VIP air crafts operate.
The airport has undergone some major changes through the years, from terminals expanded to accommodate the huge increase in passenger numbers passing through the airport to runways being upgraded and lengthened for larger aircrafts.
In 1998 the Federal Government sold Canberra Airport to Canberra businessman Terry Snow, who redeveloped the airport with major upgrades. Canberra is now the eighth busiest airport in Australia today.