Travelling to Australia

The busiest international gateways in Australia are considered to be Melbourne and Sydney. These cities are accompanied by Brisbane, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide and Darwin, airports of which serve as major terminals for international and domestic flights.

The two busiest airports of Australia are Sydney Airport and Melbourne Airport. Of the two, Sydney Airport serves as the major stopover destination for most flights coming from across the world, including India. It is also the hub for Qantas Airways, which is the official carrier of Australia.  

The second busiest airport in Australia is Melbourne Airport. The sole international airport serving Melbourne, it is a major hub for Qantas and Virgin Blue. It is also the home base for two airlines namely Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways Australia. Domestic airlines, Australian Air Express and Toll Priority, have their headquarters here.

After Melbourne and Sydney airports, the Brisbane airport is the third busiest airport in the country. It is the hub for Virgin Blue and also for the subsidiary Pacific Blue Airlines flying from international destinations. Brisbane Airport is the secondary hub for both Qantas and subsidiary Jetstar.

The fourth busiest international as well as domestic airport in Australia is Perth Airport. Located in Western Australia, it is a major commercial airport serving the state capital of Perth. This airport plays a strategic role in Australia's tourism as it connects many destinations in Australia as well as Asia, South Africa and others.

The fifth, sixth and seventh busiest airports of Australia are Adelaide Airport, Gold Coast Airport and Cairns Airport, respectively. Another hub for Tiger Airways, the Adelaide Airport has been awarded as the world's second best international airport in 2005. The Gold Coast Airport is the fastest growing airport, which has become the newest hub for Jetstar Airways.

Canberra Airport, serving the capital city of Australia, is the eighth busiest airport in the country. This airport serves as the hub for Brindabella Airlines. No international flights connect directly to this airport. Various domestic airlines to and from major Australian cities operate to this airport.

Among the major airports of Australia, serving international as well as domestic destinations are those in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. However, the airport serving the capital city of Canberra does not cater to any international flights. Most flights to Canberra Airport are directed from the major international airports within the country.

Sydney Airport, which is the busiest in Australia, is the only airport serving the state capital of New South Wales. With three runways, this airport links Australia with 47 destinations around the world, along with the states and territories within the country. It is the major hub for Qantas, the official carrier of Australia.

The airport is served by three terminals, of which Terminal 1 caters to international airlines as well as Qantas flights. Terminal 2 is a domestic one while Terminal 3 is meant for Qantas flights.

There are many facilities available at the international terminal, such as ATMs both before and after Customs, baby change rooms, baggage storage, food and beverage outlets, chemist and children's play areas.

Other facilities at the airport include internet, medical centre, VIP rooms, money exchange bureaus, post office, traveller's information desk and phone stores. Transport modes like buses, taxis, and car hire, rail and shuttle buses are easily available from outside the terminal.

Melbourne Airport is the second busiest airport in Australia and busiest in the Asia Pacific region. The only international airport of the four airports serving Melbourne, it caters to direct flights to 33 destinations across Australia. Other flights operating from Melbourne Airport link Australia to regions of Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.

This airport has four terminals, of which Terminal 2 handles international flights. Terminal 1 hosts Qantas group domestic airlines while Terminal 3 is home to Virgin Blue and Regional Express. Terminal 4 is the major hub for Tiger Airways Australia.

Brisbane Airport, the third busiest in the country, is linked with 44 destinations across Australia. Internationally, this airport is connected to Hong Kong, Dubai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai and Los Angeles, among others.

Brisbane airport has two main terminals, one international and other domestic. The international terminal is used by Emirates, Singapore Airlines and other foreign operators. The domestic terminal on the other hand, serves Qantas, Virgin Blue and other carriers.

Another major airport in Australia is the Perth Airport, serving both domestic as well as international destinations. A major commercial airport in the capital city of Western Australia, Perth Airport links the country to various Australian, Asian and Indian destinations. Other countries linked to Australia by Perth Airport include Johannesburg, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.

The airport has three terminals, two of which are home to domestic flights only. Terminal 1 hosts international flights while Terminal 2 and 3 operates Qantas and other national carriers, respectively.

Among other major airports of Australia is the Gold Coast International Airport, operating flights to and from New Zealand and Fiji. Canberra Airport, which earlier catered to international flights, serves only domestic carriers at present. The main hub for Brindabella Airlines, Canberra Airport is the eighth busiest airport in Australia. It has three terminals.

Various carriers, both international and domestic, link major Australian cities like Sydney and Melbourne to other parts of the world. Qantas Airways is the national carrier of most flights operating within as well as to and from the country.

The headquarter of Qantas Airways is based at Sydney, New South Wales. Virgin Blue (Brisbane, Queensland) is another domestic carrier operating internationally and within the country.

Among other domestic airlines are Tiger Airways Australia (Melbourne, Victoria), Jetstar Airways (Melbourne, Victoria) and Rex Regional Express (Sydney, New South Wales). Aeropelican (Newcastle, New South Wales), Air North (Darwin, Northern Territory), SkyWest Airlines (Perth, Western Australia) and National Jet (Adelaide, South Australia) are also some of the domestic airlines of Australia operating worldwide.

Several international carriers like Air Pacific, Lufthansa, also connect different destinations to the country. These airline operators include Emirates, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, Etihad Airways, Air India, Jet Airways, Air Asia, Air Canada and Qatar Airways. Air France, United, Malaysia Airlines, Air China, Air Asia X, China Airlines, Delta and many others also operate flights to and from Australia.