Departure
95%
vs 95% ▼ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Paraburdoo Airport (YPBO) serves the Pilbara mining town of Paraburdoo in Western Australia, lying some 9.3 kilometres northeast of the town centre. Owned by the Rio Tinto Group and operated by Pilbara Iron, it handles a mix of regular Qantas and Virgin Australia services alongside general aviation traffic, and offers a single long sealed runway well suited to both jet and light aircraft operations.
Paraburdoo Airport (ICAO: YPBO, IATA: PBO) is a regional aerodrome serving the town of Paraburdoo in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and by bus connection the town of Tom Price some 71 kilometres further away. The field is owned by the Rio Tinto Group and operated by Pilbara Iron, reflecting its role supporting the region's iron ore mining industry. For a simulator pilot it offers an interesting mix of scheduled jet operations by Qantas and Virgin Australia alongside general aviation light aircraft movements, all funnelled through a single substantial runway in remote outback surroundings.
Paraburdoo sits in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, about 9.3 kilometres northeast of the Paraburdoo township. The aerodrome uses a Common Traffic Advisory Frequency (CTAF), indicating uncontrolled Class G airspace typical of remote Australian regional fields, with flight service and area traffic advisory support available from Melbourne Centre.
Paraburdoo has a single physical runway, 06/24, of 6,989 feet in length with a hard surface, and is lit for night operations.
Traffic at Paraburdoo should be worked on the CTAF of 126.7 MHz. Flight service and area advisory support is available on 125.7 MHz from Melbourne Centre. The airport has no instrument landing system, and runway lighting is pilot controlled, with low intensity runway lights and a portable precision approach path indicator (PAPI) available to assist with the visual approach.
As an uncontrolled aerodrome operating on a CTAF, pilots are expected to make their own broadcasts and maintain separation with other traffic in the vicinity of the field. Runway lighting is pilot activated, which is a useful consideration for pilots planning arrivals or departures outside daylight hours.
Paraburdoo Airport was developed to support the Pilbara iron ore industry and remains owned by the Rio Tinto Group, with Pilbara Iron as the operating authority. Over the years it has grown from modest beginnings to handle over 200,000 revenue passengers and around 2,700 aircraft movements annually by the 2010-11 financial year, a substantial increase from around 49,000 passengers a decade earlier. The field's operational history includes a notable incident on 17 June 2007, when a twin-engine charter aircraft suffered a landing gear fault and was forced to circle for over two hours before making an emergency landing on the runway, requiring a subsequent cleanup and the use of cranes to remove the aircraft; a QantasLink Boeing 717 inbound from Perth was diverted to Newman Airport as a result.
Paraburdoo remains an active regional airport with scheduled QantasLink services connecting to Perth, historically operating around 32 direct flights per week, alongside Virgin Australia Regional Airlines services to Perth and charter flights. General aviation light aircraft also use the field. Prior permission may be required for some operations at this Rio Tinto operated facility.