New England Online > Geography > Transport > Aviation
Aviation
The Aviation industry in New England is a reasonably small, employing only a few hundred people. Air travel is very expensive in New England and is seldom employed by private individuals except in the most dire of circumstances. The majority of the transport for individuals is provided by road and rail transport. Likewise, air freight is seldom used except for emergency shipments. The majority of air traffic is either military or medical transport provided by air ambulances.
The only group of people to regularly use air travel are businessman and civil servants, who can move between centres in a single day to attend meetings and conferences.
Despite the small size of the domestic market, the number of international flights remains high, as flying remains the most convenient way to enter and leave New England without dealing with the hassle of the land border crossings into Australia. All major European airlines have services to New England, usually as part of the Europe - New Zealand route.
Regulation
The Civil Aviation Authority or CAA is the agency which oversees and regulates all aspects of aviation in New England. The CAA was established in 2012, and is charged with the responsibility of regulating the air industry and ensuring that all aircraft conform the standards set down in the Civil Aviation Act. The CAA is part of the Ministry of Transport. The CAA also has responsibility for air traffic control, and it manages all control towers and air beacons.
The CAA employs just fifty staff, and based out of Aviation House which is located near Armidale-Gostwyck Airport. The Executive Director of the CAA is Rowan Elias.
Airlines
With such a small market, there are two small airlines which are owned by overseas interests. Both airlines cater to the business market, although they also maintain air freight activities as well. Both airlines compete on all routes, and there is stiff competition between the two on the main trunk routes, which run between Armidale, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Inverell. The two airlines are:
South Pacific Airlines -
Airports
All major cities and towns have at least one airport, although many also have smaller grass aerodromes for use by private and charter planes. The major airports are:
| Airports of New England | ||
|---|---|---|
| Airport Name | CAA Code | City/Town Serviced |
| Armidale-Gostwyck International Airport | ARM | Armidale and Uralla |
| Ashford Airport | ASH | Ashford |
| Barraba Airport | BBA | Barraba |
| Bingara Airport | BGA | Bingara |
| Coffs Harbour International Airport | CFS | Coffs Harbour and Woolgoolga |
| Glen Innes Airport | GLI | Glen Innes |
| Grafton City Regional Airport | GFN | Grafton |
| Inverell City Regional Airport | INV | Inverell |
| Kempsey & Macleay Regional Airport | KMP | Kempsey |
| Lower Clarence Airport | LCA | Illuka, Maclean and Yamba |
| Macksville Airport | MCK | Macksville and Nambucca Heads |
| Port Macquarie International Airport | PMQ | Laurieton, Port Macquarie and Wauchope |
| Tenterfield Airport | TFD | Tenterfield |
| Walcha Airport | WCA | Walcha |
