Former Ayers Rock Connellan Airport

The airport was closed and relocated primarily for environmental and cultural reasons. Its location, extremely close to the base of Uluru (Ayers Rock), was causing significant environmental degradation to the fragile desert ecosystem. The noise and physical presence of the airport and its associated motels were also considered a desecration of a sacred site by the Anangu, the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land. In the late 1970s, the Australian Government decided to move all tourist facilities, including the airport, outside the park's boundaries to a new site, which became the Yulara resort and the new Ayers Rock Airport (YAYE).

The site of the former airport has been completely decommissioned and rehabilitated. Following its closure in 1984, all buildings were removed, and the runways and tarmac were broken up and scarified to encourage revegetation and return the land to its natural state. The area is now fully integrated into the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. While faint scars of the old runways can still be seen on satellite imagery, the site is no longer recognizable or usable as an airfield and is managed for conservation and cultural purposes.

The Former Connellan Airport was pivotal in opening Uluru and the Australian Outback to tourism and providing essential services to the remote region. It was established by the legendary aviator Edward 'Eddie' Connellan, who founded Connellan Airways (later Connair) in 1939. The first permanent airstrip at the site was built in the 1950s. For decades, it was the primary gateway for tourists, mail delivery, supplies, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. The airport and the nearby tourist motels it served were the foundation of the Ayers Rock tourism industry until the development of the Yulara resort. The IATA code AYQ, now used by the new airport, was originally assigned to this facility.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the former Connellan Airport. Its closure was a deliberate and permanent decision to protect the environmental and cultural integrity of Uluru. The region is now served by the modern Ayers Rock Airport (YAYE / AYQ) located at Yulara, which is better equipped to handle current air traffic and is situated at a respectful distance from the sacred sites.