A Northern Territory airport that serves as a key gateway to Kakadu National Park has been rescued from scheduled demolition, in a move welcomed by tourism operators across the region.
The Gundjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation (GAC), representing the traditional Mirarr people, has stepped in to take over operations at Jabiru Airport, pulling it back from a planned October destruction date and ensuring continued access to one of Australia’s most visited national parks.
The airport sits on land leased to the now-defunct Ranger uranium mine, with its demolition originally tied to the end of mining operations in 2021. For months, uncertainty around the facility’s future had cast a shadow over tourism businesses relying on it for passenger and freight access – particularly during the Top End’s wet season, when the airport serves as a critical supply route to surrounding remote communities.
GAC chief executive Jessie Schaecken confirmed the corporation would work to ensure a smooth handover with minimal disruption to existing operators. The airport is regularly used by Kakadu tourism operators and provides essential connectivity for the communities of Jabiru and nearby Gunbalanya.
For travel industry operators, the news signals that air access to Kakadu – a world heritage-listed destination drawing visitors from across the globe – will remain intact as the region pursues its longer-term ambition of becoming a post-mining tourism hub, backed by Commonwealth investment.
Northern Territory Aboriginal Affairs Minister Steve Edgington described the outcome as “good news for Jabiru and the surrounding region,” with the NT Government confirming it is working alongside GAC, the Commonwealth, Rio Tinto and aviation operators to finalise arrangements.
Longer-term questions around the airport’s future remain, with local member Manuel Brown noting that federal legislative changes to the Ranger lease will ultimately be required. But for now, the doors stay open — and flights to Kakadu along with them.
