History
Mangalore Airport was established by the federal government during World War II (1939-1945) to train pilots for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and as an enlistment centre.
After the war, the airport became a busy recreational airfield for civilian flyers. An event not to be missed was the annual air show conducted by the Sports Aircraft Association of Australia, which continued until 1997. Mangalore Airport was also a major player in the expansion and development of post-war commercial passenger traffic.
Before the development of Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine, Essendon Airport was the main domestic terminal. It was regularly closed by fog, due to its location and altitude, and Mangalore became the alternative landing location. However, as the size of passenger planes increased, Mangalore Airport, with its take-off and landing distance of 2027 metres, became victim to air travel’s success. The federal government then sold the airport and the asset was vested in local government until it was again sold to a private consortium.
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