Departure
98%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport is a regional airport on the New South Wales north coast, serving Ballina, Byron Bay and the wider Northern Rivers region. Owned and operated by Ballina Shire Council, it offers a single long sealed runway and operates as a non-towered aerodrome under Brisbane Centre, making it a useful and historically interesting stop for visiting sim pilots tracking the coast between Sydney and Brisbane.
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport (ICAO: YBNA, IATA: BNK) is a regional airport at Ballina on the New South Wales coast, owned and operated by Ballina Shire Council. It opened in October 1986 and was renamed from the plain Ballina Airport in 2005 in an effort to draw more visitors to the area by associating it with nearby Byron Bay. The field serves Ballina, Lismore, Byron Bay and the broader Northern Rivers region, and has hosted scheduled jet services from Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, giving it a mix of airline and general aviation traffic that makes it a worthwhile VFR destination for simulator pilots exploring this part of the coast.
The airport lies on Southern Cross Drive, about 5 km from Ballina's central business district, on the New South Wales north coast. It sits within the area overseen by Brisbane Centre, reflecting its position in the northern reaches of New South Wales airspace close to the Queensland border. Byron Bay lies roughly 35 km to the north, with Lismore around 40 minutes away by road, placing the airport centrally within the Northern Rivers region it serves.
The airport has a single physical runway, 06/24, measuring 6220 feet with a hard surface and runway lighting. There is no ILS approach available. Field elevation is 3 feet above mean sea level.
The common traffic advisory frequency (CTAF) is 124.2 MHz, used for self-announced traffic calls in the absence of a control tower. Flight service information is available from Brisbane Centre on 120.3 MHz. There is no ILS approach procedure published for the field.
The airport opened in October 1986 under the name Ballina Airport, owned and operated by Ballina Shire Council. In 2005 it was renamed Ballina Byron Gateway Airport in a bid to strengthen its association with the popular nearby tourist town of Byron Bay and attract more visitors to the region. The Ballina Aero Club, with a clubhouse in the general aviation hangar area, traces its origins back to 1928, giving the field a long-standing general aviation heritage alongside its later development as a regional airline gateway. Qantas affiliate Rex withdrew services to Ballina in 2020 amid a capacity dispute with Qantas, an episode that drew comment from the federal transport minister and local politicians at the time.
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport continues to be serviced by Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia, offering direct flights to Sydney and Melbourne with onward connections available through those hubs. The terminal opens two hours before the first scheduled departure and closes one hour after the last. General aviation activity continues through the Ballina Aero Club, based in the airport's general aviation hangar area, and the field is notable as the home of Australia's only Cirrus Vision SF50 (registration N755DS), which is stored there.
