Owner West Coast Council Location Queenstown, Tasmania 4,001 ft (1,220 m) long Asphalt | Operator West Coast Council Elevation AMSL 866 ft / 264 m | |
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Airport type unregistered landing strip Address Lyell Hwy, Queenstown TAS 7467, Australia Similar Queensto Cabin & Tourist P, Strahan Airport, Queensto Motor Lodge, Silver Hills Motel, Pioneers Retreat Queensto | ||
The Queenstown Airport (IATA: UEE, ICAO: YQNS) (also known as Howard's Plains aerodrome, Queenstown aerodrome, Queenstown Air Strip, or Queenstown landing ground) is a former airport, now an unregistered landing ground located at Howard's Plains west of Queenstown, Tasmania, Australia.
Contents
Early proposals and debates
The provision of an aerodrome in the 1930s had been a topical point of debate in Queenstown, and moves to construct
The aerodrome was constructed in the late 1930s from funding from the Commonwealth government for municipal aerodromes
It was in use the 1937, but not without difficulties being encountered
Early proposals of regular passenger services to the aerodrome were made in the late 1940s and early 1950s
However upgrades and improvements were noted in 1940 to be required for the aerodrome to be licensed for passenger traffic
It is claimed the first passenger landed at the aerodrome in 1946
In 1950 serious doubts were being addressed about the unreliable weather conditions at the aerodrome However, in 1953, there was a serious proposal to promote the licence for the aerodrome for emergency medical transport
Operational era
In the 1970s both Queenstown and Strahan Airports were open and registered with regular passenger services, and if weather conditions were difficult at Queenstown, Strahan would be the alternative landing location. Airlines of Tasmania ran the service.
Current status
The airspace is controlled from Melbourne Airport in Victoria. There are currently no regular passenger flights to Queenstown or Strahan from other airports in Tasmania.
The landing ground, even though it is unregistered, is owned and controlled by the West Coast council, from whom permission to use must be gained before landing