Gove Airport

Infobox Airport
name = Gove Airport
nativename =
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nativename-r =


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IATA = GOV
ICAO = YPGV
type = Public
owner =
operator =
city-served =
location = Nhulunbuy, Northern Territory
elevation-f = 205
elevation-m = 62
coordinates = Coord|12|16|10|S|136|49|06|E|type:airport|display=inline,title
website =
metric-elev =
metric-rwy =
r1-number = 13/31
r1-length-f = 7,244
r1-length-m = 2,208
r1-surface = Asphalt
stat-year =
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Gove Airport airport codes|GOV|YPGV is on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory of Australia. It services the mining town of Nhulunbuy and several Aboriginal communities including Yirrkala.

Airlines and destinations

All flights are met by a shuttle bus connecting to Nhulunbuy. [cite web
url=http://www.ards.com.au/wsnhulun.htm
title=Coming to Nhulunbuy
publisher=Aboriginal Resource and Development Services Inc.
accessdate=2006-04-15]

History

The Gove Airport is located on the site of the former RAAF Airfield Gove. This World War II airbase was built in 1943 and named for Pilot Officer William Gove who was killed in action.Citation
title=Gove
newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald
date=2004-02-08
url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/Northern-Territory/Gove/2005/02/17/1108500201619.html] During the war, the airfield was used by No. 83 Squadron RAAF flying CAC Boomerangs and No. 13 Squadron RAAF flying Lockheed Venturas, with No. 42 Squadron RAAF operating PBY Catalina flying boats out of nearby Drimmie Head. At the height of operations, over 5000 servicemen were stationed at the base.

In the 90s and early 00s, few planes came in daily. Only a few bae 146s, 737s, 717s and a few regional turboprop aircraft of Qantas Link and other domestic airlines came in daily from destinations like Alice Springs, Darwin, Cairns, Katherine and few others.

A new terminal building was completed in 2005, providing an airconditioned departure lounge and indoor baggage collection. [cite news
url=http://www.nt.gov.au:8501/dberd/TBC/Information_Gateway/Mining_and_Petroleum_Support/Mining_Business/Gove_Airport.htm
accessdate=2006-04-15
date=2003-10-22
work=Territory Business Channel
title=Gove Airport] [cite news
url=http://tourismaustralia.com/wnews.asp?al=1296&lang=EN
accessdate=2006-04-15 |date=2005-03-21
publisher=Tourism Australia
work=Daily News Service
title=New Gove Airport]

References