Intown - Geelong - Avalon Airport

Avalon Airport

Avalon Airport is home to one of Australia's biggest events, the Australian International Airshow and a major airport for the region being serviced by Jetstar and later in 2008 also Asia X. Being just 15 minutes from the centre of Geelong and 40 minutes to the middle of Melbourne the airport has become a major budget airline hub with Jetstar making its Victorian home for flights to Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth.

It is expected that AirAsia X will service Kula Lumpur flights out of Avalon in the near future and other budget international and domestic services are also on the drawing boards pending approval and further negotiations. To prepare for the international work is about to commence on a 8000 square metre expansion to accommodate additional services such as immigration, quarantine and customs.

Avalon Airport is also one of the Geelong regions biggest employers with Qantas having huge facilities where heavy maintenance and engineering work is carried out on their fleet. The facility has the capability to completely overhaul their aircraft including their 747 fleet.

Over the years Avalon Airport has been a major training airport for passenger pilots with Qantas using the airport for over 40 years starting in 1959. Even international carrier have used the facility including Japan's All Nippon Airways.

Being close to the Geelong satellite township of Lara the runway is 3075 metres long ad was built in 1953, it can handle 747 jets. The airport has been a major aircraft manufacturing centre in Australia, The Government Aircraft Factory later named Aerospace Technologies of Australia or ASTA produced many aircraft including the Sabre Jet fighter, Nomad civilian aircraft and the FA18 which have been an integral part of the Australian Defense Force for over quarter of a century.

Since 1991 the Airport has become the home of the Australian International Airshow, held every second March (odd years) The airshow is the premier airshow in the Aisa Pacific region attracting many of the leading brands of both military and comercial aviation. Millions of dollars of deals are made every show. The airshow is more than a trade show it is open to the public and usually attracts upwards of 200000 people over the weekend event. Static aircraft displays and some of the best ariel displays thrill the huge crowd at every event.

For people flying in and out of Avalon Airport has easy to use facilities compared to many of the larger Australian Airports. They have basic facilities but they are very user friendly. The terminal has a cafe and is quiet comfortable and very easy to get around. There are extensive car park facilities which are much cheaper than the larger airports. Taxis and shuttle busses operate to both Geelong and Melbourne. A passenger can disembark from the aircraft, pick up luggage and be on the M1 Geelong /Melbourne motorway in a matter of 5-10 minutes, it is so easy.