- Fairbairn, Canberra
-
Canberra Airport
(previously
Canberra International Airport)
Fairbairn
Fairbairn viewed from Mount Ainslie IATA: CBR – ICAO: YSCB Summary Airport type Public Operator Capital Airport Group Pty Ltd Location Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Elevation AMSL 1,888 ft / 575 m Coordinates 35°18′07″S 149°12′07″E / 35.302°S 149.202°ECoordinates: 35°18′07″S 149°12′07″E / 35.302°S 149.202°E Runways Direction Length Surface ft m 17/35 8,882 2,680 Asphalt 12/30 5,509 1,679 Asphalt 
Fairbairn hangars and air traffic control tower viewed from the main runway
Fairbairn was a base of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) located in Australia's national capital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. Over the years the name of the establishment, and the use of the land, has changed. The land occupies the "North East quadrant" of what is currently known as Canberra Airport; see that page for additional information.
Contents
RAAF base
RAAF squadrons were permanently based at the Canberra Aerodrome from 1939. The base was formally established as RAAF Station Canberra on 1 April 1940. It became Headquarters RAAF Canberra in 1953 at the cessation of the Korean War, and was renamed Fairbairn Airbase after the late Minister for Air and Civil Aviation James Fairbairn, Member of the Australian House of Representatives, who was killed in an aircraft crash in the proximity of the airfield on 13 August 1940. In December 1960 the base was selected as the locality for the RAAF Staff College, and in 1962, the area was renamed RAAF Base Fairbairn.
Defence Establishment Fairbairn
The Defence Reform Program (DRP) determined the base was no longer required and on 28 May 1998 the lease on the base was sold to Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd.[1] Part of the base was sub-leased back to the (Australian) Department of Defence on a five-year lease to allow the progressive wind up of operations. The base was decommissioned on 27 June 2003 and the domestic area became known as Defence Establishment Fairbairn, with Canberra International Airport[2] and the Capital Airport Group[3] having full control of the airfield and the site.
The only remaining military unit is No 34 Squadron, which is responsible for the operations of the airforce's VIP transport aircraft which are used to transport Australian officials such as the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, the Governor General, the leader of the opposition and high ranking defence force officers when travelling both internationally or within Australia.
Besides being the home base of No 34 Squadron's special purpose VIP Boeing 737s and Bombardier Challengers, Fairbairn is also regularly used by other defence force aircraft.
The airport is used by official aircraft carrying foreign heads of state or government when visiting Canberra, for example when the US President visits Canberra, Air Force One lands there.
Fairbairn was also home to No 28 Squadron (Active Reserve Squadron) until it was relocated to HMAS Harman when Fairbairn was decommissioned.
Business Park
In 2006, Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd, and the airport management company Capital Airport Group Pty Ltd, jointly released a prospectus[4] and embarked on a building program in the area now called "Fairbairn".[5] These new buildings have been leased and are occupied by the Department of Defence[6] and other tenants.
References and notes
- ^ Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd
- ^ i.e. Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd, the owner of the lease.
- ^ i.e. Capital Airport Group Pty Ltd, the airport management company.
- ^ Fairbairn: The Place To Grow Your Business, 2006, Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd and Capital Airport Group Pty Ltd
- ^ i.e. the "NE Precinct" of the airport site - the area previously known as "Defence Establishment Fairbairn".
- ^ including HQJOC(T) Plans Branch in F1, DSTO in F2 and the JDSSC in F4
External links
- National Trust concerns (PDF)
- RAAF News Farewell to Fairbairn
- Canberra International Airport official site
- Canberra International Airport Pty Ltd
- Capital Airport Group Pty Ltd
Current bases RAAF Base Amberley • RAAF Curtin • RAAF Base Darwin • RAAF Base East Sale • RAAF Base Edinburgh • RAAF Gingin • RAAF Base Glenbrook • RAAF Learmonth • RAAF Base Pearce • RAAF Base Richmond • RAAF Scherger • RAAF Base Tindal • RAAF Base Townsville • RAAF Base Wagga • RAAF Williams • RAAF Base Williamtown • RAAF Woomera Airfield
Former bases RAAF Base Albion Park • RAAF Base Bowen • RAAF Base Cairns • RAAF Base Daly Waters • RAAF Base Coffs Harbour • RAAF Base Evans Head • RAAF Base Fairbairn • RAAF Jervis Bay • RAAF Base Mallala • RAAF Base Moruya • RAAF Base Nabiac • RAAF Base Rathmines • RAAF Base Temora • RAAF Station Tocumwal • RAAF Base UranquintyOverseas bases RAAF Base Butterworth (Malaysia) • RAAF Base Cocos Island (Cocos (Keeling) Islands) • RAAF Base Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea) • RAAF Base Tengah (Singapore) • RAAF Ubon (Thailand) •Shared bases Flying boat bases Categories:- Buildings and structures in Canberra
- Royal Australian Air Force bases
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