Pakenham Airport

Pakenham, AU 🇦🇺 Closed Airport

ICAO

AU-0678

IATA

-

Elevation

- ft

Region

AU-VIC

Local Time

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Airport Information

GPS Code: Not available

Local Code: Not available

Location: -38.088421° N, 145.480871° E

Continent: OC

Type: Closed Airport

Keywords: YPAK YPAK

Terminal Information Not Available
Terminal arrivals and departures are only available for airports with scheduled commercial service and IATA codes.

External Links

Nearby Points of Interest

What Travelers Say

AI-Generated Summary Based on web research

While direct traveler reviews and experiences for Pakenham Airport (AU-0678) as a commercial passenger airport are not available, search results indicate that Pakenham, AU, primarily serves as a residential area where travelers focus on efficient airport transfer services to and from major commercial airports like Melbourne Airport (MEL). Overall sentiment regarding these transfer services is highly positive, emphasizing convenience, reliability, and comfort.

What Travelers Love (about Pakenham Airport Transfer Services):

  • Reliability and Punctuality: Transfer services are consistently praised for being on-time or early, ensuring travelers don't miss flights. Drivers often track flights for real-time scheduling and have contingency plans for delays or bad weather.
  • Comfort and Luxury: Passengers appreciate the pristine, posh, and comfortable vehicles, often including luxury sedans, SUVs, and vans with amenities like leather interiors, complimentary water, and mobile chargers.
  • Professional and Friendly Chauffeurs: Drivers are frequently described as professional, highly-trained, and friendly, offering excellent customer service, assisting with luggage, and providing a stress-free journey.
  • Door-to-Door Convenience: Services offer door-to-door pickup and drop-off, eliminating the hassle of driving, parking, or navigating public transport, especially for early morning flights or travel with families.
  • Family-Friendly Options: Many services provide baby/child car seats, making travel with young children much simpler and safer.

Common Considerations (compared to direct airport access):

  • Reliance on External Transport: As Pakenham Airport (AU-0678) does not operate commercial flights, travelers must rely on private chauffeur services or public transport options to reach major airports, adding a separate leg to their journey.
  • Travel Time to Main Airports: Driving to Melbourne Airport (MEL) from Pakenham takes approximately 1 hour and 3 minutes, while public transport can take around 2 hours and 54 minutes with transfers.
  • Cost of Private Transfers: While highly valued for convenience, private chauffeur services are an added cost compared to potentially cheaper (but less convenient) public transport alternatives.

Pakenham residents generally experience a high level of satisfaction with the available airport transfer services, which are crucial for connecting them to commercial air travel. The emphasis on punctuality, comfort, and professional service makes these transfers a preferred choice for a stress-free start or end to a trip, effectively compensating for the lack of commercial services at Pakenham itself.

Generated False weeks ago
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This summary is automatically generated by AI based on web research of traveler reviews and experiences. AI-generated content may not always be 100% accurate.

Current Weather Conditions

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For Pilots

Designation Length Width Surface Status
09/27 3937 ft - ft X Active

Type Description Frequency
CTAF CTAF 120.0 MHz
MISC MISC 121.3 MHz
MISC MISC 124.0 MHz

Ident Name Type Frequency

Airport Closure Information

Last updated: Nov 21, 2025
Closure Date

Circa 1999-2000. While an exact date is not officially recorded, the airfield ceased operations in the late 1990s to make way for a new housing development, with construction beginning around the year 2000.

Reason for Closure

Urban Encroachment and Land Redevelopment. The primary reason for the airport's closure was economic. As the suburb of Pakenham expanded rapidly, the land on which the airport was situated became extremely valuable for residential development. The owners of the airfield sold the land to developers, leading to its permanent closure to build the Heritage Springs housing estate.

Current Status

The site has been completely and irreversibly redeveloped. The land that once housed the runway, taxiways, and hangars of Pakenham Airport is now the 'Heritage Springs' residential estate. The area is now a dense suburban landscape of houses, streets, parks, and a local shopping centre. There are no physical remnants of the former airport.

Historical Significance

Pakenham Airport, more commonly known as Pakenham Airfield, was a significant privately owned general aviation hub for Melbourne's southeastern corridor. It was a popular base for:
- **Flight Training:** Several flying schools operated from Pakenham, providing training for private and commercial pilot licenses.
- **Recreational Flying:** It was a home base for many private aircraft owners and recreational pilots in the region.
- **Aircraft Maintenance:** The airfield had facilities for light aircraft maintenance and servicing.
- **Charter Operations:** Some small-scale air charter services for light aircraft operated from the field.
It primarily handled single and twin-engine piston aircraft and was a vibrant part of the local aviation community for several decades. It did not handle scheduled commercial passenger services.

Reopening Prospects

None. There are zero prospects for the airport to reopen at its original location. The land has been fully developed with permanent residential and commercial infrastructure. The cost to acquire and clear the land would be astronomically prohibitive and politically impossible. General aviation services for the region are now concentrated at other airports such as Moorabbin Airport (YMMB), Tooradin Airfield (YTDN), and Latrobe Valley Airport (YLTV).

Nearby Airports

Melbourne Moorabbin Airport
MBW • YMMB
Melbourne, AU
Medium Airport Scheduled Service
~36 km away
Melbourne Essendon Airport
MEB • YMEN
Essendon Fields, AU
Medium Airport Scheduled Service
~65 km away
Melbourne Airport
MEL • YMML
Melbourne, AU
Large International Airport Scheduled Service
~74 km away
Melbourne Avalon International Airport
AVV • YMAV
Lara, AU
Medium Airport Scheduled Service
~89 km away
Melbourne Airport
MEL • YMML
Melbourne, AU
Large International Airport Scheduled Service
~74 km away
Melbourne Moorabbin Airport
MBW • YMMB
Melbourne, AU
Medium Airport Scheduled Service
~36 km away
Melbourne Essendon Airport
MEB • YMEN
Essendon Fields, AU
Medium Airport Scheduled Service
~65 km away
Latrobe Valley Airport
TGN • YLTV
Morwell, AU
Medium Airport
~88 km away
Melbourne Avalon International Airport
AVV • YMAV
Lara, AU
Medium Airport Scheduled Service
~89 km away
West Sale Airport
SXE • YWSL
Sale, AU
Medium Airport
~130 km away
RAAF Base East Sale
YMES
NoneAU
Medium Airport
~146 km away
Nar Nar Goon Airstrip
YNNG
NoneAU
Small Airport
~9 km away
Koo Wee Rup (Aardel Port) Airfield
YKWR
Koo Wee Rup, AU
Small Airport
~9 km away
Tooradin Airport
YTDN
NoneAU
Small Airport
~15 km away
Bunyip Airport
YBUP
NoneAU
Small Airport
~25 km away
Longwarry Airport
YLOY
NoneAU
Small Airport
~26 km away
Tyabb Airport
YTYA
Tyabb, AU
Small Airport
~33 km away
Drouin Airport
YDRN
Drouin, AU
Small Airport
~33 km away
Coldstream Airport
YCEM
Coldstream, AU
Small Airport
~41 km away
Olinda (DSE) Helibase
AU-0111
Olinda / Mt Dandenong, AU
Heliport
~27 km away
Phillip Island Heliport
YPID
Newhaven, AU
Heliport
~50 km away
Alfred Hospital Helipad
YAFD
Melbourne, AU
Heliport
~52 km away
Melbourne Heliport, Batman Park
KAH • YBPK
Melbourne, AU
Heliport
~55 km away
Yarra Bank Heliport
YYBK
Melbourne, AU
Heliport
~55 km away
Royal Melbourne Hospital Helipad
YRMH
Melbourne, AU
Heliport
~56 km away
Royal Childrens Hospital Helipad
YRHO
Melbourne, AU
Heliport
~57 km away
Alexandra Hospital Heliport
YAXA
Alexandra, AU
Heliport
~101 km away
Distances are approximate and calculated as straight-line distances.