Gold Coast Airport temporarily closes

Go back to the e-newsletter

Gold Coast Airport has been forced to suspend operations from Friday 10 April, as regular commercial passenger services to the region dry up.At the start of the month, Australia’s sixth busiest airport had trimmed its operational hours in response to reduced aircraft activity (only a few flights a week) due to the coronavirus pandemic. The final Qantas and Virgin flights departed the Gold Coast on Thursday 9 April.Hours of operation for the runway and associated airfield operations remain unchanged for general aviation and other activities.Gold Coast Airport Chief Operating Officer, Marion Charlton, said the terminal would reopen when regular passenger flights recommenced.“The aviation industry is at the front line of this crisis, with passenger numbers falling steadily since the beginning of March,” Charlton said.“We will continue to work closely with our partners throughout this challenging time.“Together, we will be ready to return to normal operations as soon as regular passenger flights are reinstated.”The temporary closure comes just days after the Gold Coast reported a record 14.2 million tourist arrivals for the year ending December 2019. Data released this week showed visitors numbers to the Gold Coast increased 13.5% year-on-year.Meanwhile, in late news, overnight Virgin Australia revealed plans to rekindle flights between Sydney and the Gold Coast, starting immediately, under a new minimum network schedule. The three return weekly services to the Gold Coast will operate on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.Image credit: wearegc.com.au

---

Want to be in the luxury travel know? Subscribe to our free eNewsletter here to keep up to date with everything in the luxury travel industry.

Go back to the e-newsletter