Great Barrier Reef Airport

Great Barrier Reef Airport or Hamilton Island Airport is the primary airport of the Whitsunday Islands Group, and the airport of Hamilton Island. The airport is settled on mostly reclaimed land and due the island's tourism status, is occupied mostly and favoured by Australia's leading low-cost airlines (Jetstar Airways and Virgin Australia) and Qantas. Hamilton Island Airport handles direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Cairns and is also the airport launch pad for scenic flights to the Great Barrier Reef and Whitehaven Beach. Private flights and charters also fly into Great Barrier Reef Airport, along with locally operated helicopters, light planes and seaplanes.The airport suffered heavily in September 2001 with the demise of Ansett Australia, which operated more heavily out of the airport than any other airline with flights to Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.In the year ending 30 June 2011 the airport handled 457,641 passengers making it the 19th busiest airport in Australia.